#which like yeah but only in specific skill areas like using all the fucking heavy workshop machinery i haven’t been trained on yet

[toasttedbaguels]

oh i am going to kill this one particular class.

#i just. want to know what goes through someone head when they do this shit #whatever anyways one of the other technicians had a talk with their teacher and i’m HOPING thatll fix some things #idk i don’t always wanna bitch about work but like... when the teacher makes the most ridiculous requests that NO OTHER TEACHER HERE DOES.. #like every friday i have to bring up her TWENT EIGHT students work and materials from ANOTHER BUILDING to the TOP FLOOR #when every other teacher that has the same setup just brings their shit back at the end of their lesson. like its lazy #even more lazy is that they don’t clean their shit ever and then complain when all our brushes and palettes are wrecked #like huh. huh. who did that i wonder? who also got their own individual art kits at the start of the year and yet still insists on using- #-and destroying the cupboard stock? huh? huh? bizarre. #bagel babbles #idk also she is just like. rude. to me at least. but fine to the other technician #because he’s like hot and cool or whatever idk. and i’m not him #i think she’s got it in her head that i’m less competent than him for some reason #which like yeah but only in specific skill areas like using all the fucking heavy workshop machinery i haven’t been trained on yet #like he’s LITERALLY been doing this three years and i started in octoberwhat do u want #also also just in general he’s like 5 years older than me. of course he’s had more time to learn this shit i’m TWENTY ONE #even then though like this guy is teaching now. *im* the main technician now. fucking put up with it girl i am not him. #rant over. anyways doesnt this sink look kinda like howls bath? happy wizard freak friday :)

[nevertheless-moving]

Unnamed Extremely Bad Plan to Defeat Darth Sideous AU - SW AU NO 9

Hopefully writing down this star wars au will help me exorcise the cringe demon that helped midwife it. Time travel au where obi-wan and Anakin come up with an extremely SPECIFIC and UNCOMFORTABLE plan to defeat Palpatine because it unfortunately, would actually work, as it capitalizes on one of Palpatine’s easiest to reach political vulnerabilities. This is not a unique plan- there are other au’s like this, but this one is mine. When searching for ways to explain exactly why this anti-sith strategy inspires such cringe and delight in myself I realized, with sinking dread, I have seen this in an Always Sunny episode...which yeah. I might be over reacting but hey, cringe is a personal phenomenon, everyone’s different.

Anyway! Uh here’s a bunch of plot that will eventually culminate in the plan. 

*Too much plot, aaaah*. **All plot actually.** ***Its 1 am and this is still a draft*** ****It’s 2am**** *****This post will be just be background I guess.*****

*******STAR WARS AU NO 9 LAZILY OUTLINED CHAPTER ONE*********

Force ghosts Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi have had time to yell at one another without need for breath, and have more-or-less come to terms with the trainwreck that was their shared life. I wouldn’t call them well adjusted, but they’re more stable then they were the last decade or so of their living existence. 

In haunting Luke, they end up encountering an artifact in an ancient Willis temple that offers spirits the chance to fix the mistakes they made in life. It doesn’t truly unwrite what’s been done, but it lets you create an alternate timeline. So this galaxy will still be what it is, but some alternate galaxy somewhere could at least have it better. Its almost never been used, because becoming one with the force usually lets you accept the past, but viewed objectively, Vader and Ben’s lives involved an extreme amount of yikes. They say goodbye to Luke and are flung backwards and sideways.

Anakin is holding his mother as she dies. Obi-Wan is landing on Genosis. 

Vader just barely manages to avoid slaughtering the tuskens. To be honest, he doesn’t really get why he shouldn’t- his moral compass is still pretty f-ed up. He’s fairly certain the force is just torturing him, but still he controls himself (for Padme for Luke for Leia).

I’m gonna say well-adjusted!Vader sees murder in general as more of a vice than a sin- on par with having a beer. And really well adjusted Vader is willing to admit to himself that he’s an alcoholic, he seriously cannot regulate, its a problem. He really can’t let himself go, because he’ll just end up spiraling. And so he restrains himself and only seriously maims a few of the adult raiders.

Vader figures he can always come back later and slowly torture them to death if this whole ‘save the future’ thing doesn’t pan out.

Obi-wan leaves his shuttle and hides under a rock for 30 minutes. He calculates thats just enough time for him to pretend he went on an extremely effective and sneaky fact finding mission- just in case anyone checks R4′s records. Gets back in shuttle and gets the fuck out of there, much to Dooku’s chagrin, who lost sight of him after the shuttle landed and is now going to have to switch to one of his alternate start-the-war plans. 

On the flight back he reports everything to the council- fallen Dooku and the separatist leaders, the trade federation and the massive droid army, Jango Fett the clone template of the republic army (?) working for the separatists. He briefly comms Anakin, but anyone hacking into their conversations would hear only a nonsensical, rambling conversation. Later, a hacker might turn over the idea that they were speaking in elaborate code, but why would Jedi invent such a thing during peacetime?

The war still starts; at this point in the timeline it was inevitable; the artifact was only designed to give them the chance to correct their own failings, not the galaxy’s. Palpatine still gets his emergency powers. 

The same day the armies are discovered, separatist war ships take off to engulf Ryloth. The Jedi are instructed by the senate to lead the clone army and provide immediate relief-this will not be a repeat of the republic’s inaction on Naboo. It’s both better and worse than the first Battle of Genosis. So many more civilians are caught in the crossfire. The first titanic battle is not contained to evacuated droid factories, but rages across an entire populated world. The battle lasts for weeks.

The main reason this fight is less deadly is solely due to the fact that General Kenobi manages to maneuver his way into high command of the entire army.

 “I believe assumptions were made since I was the first point of contact with Kamino, Masters,” the Knight explained apologetically to the arriving high council members. “I realize its not quite appropriate, but for right now I am the Jedi most familiar with our forces and the enemies. I would, of course, prefer to cede the role to someone else.” 

The assembled Jedi can feel the truth in that statement.

“For better or for worse, advance troops were directed by the senate to land planetside and have met heavy resistance. I managed to redirect them to a more defensible position, where they can provide surface based cover fire for incoming reinforcements. The battle has already begun.” He received a grim nod of approval from Master Windu.

“I feel the need to say now, that if there’s one thing I learned from my time as a general on Melida/Dann, or in working against Death Watch on Mandalore, its that having a clear chain of command is vital for a military to succeed. I don’t need to remind some of you that leadership breakdowns were what ultimately ended both the Stark Hyperspace War and the Yinchorri Crisis,” Masters Koon and Tiin exchanged looks before deliberately sending forth a small force wave of approval, understanding where this briefing was leading. 

“I believe that unnecessarily restructuring command before the battle is won here could do far more harm than good.” The reminder of Obi-wan’s unusually militaristic apprenticeship put some of the assembled knights at ease even as it inspired a twinge of guilt in the older masters. 

“In command you are, General Kenobi,” Master Yoda finally acknowledged. “A Jedi Master you will be, once done this battle is. Have us do, what would you?” 

The battle lasts for weeks, and when its over, the commanding Jedi and Troopers involved will openly acknowledge that had anyone else been in command, it would’ve lasted months, if not years. Facing down logistical, strategic, and tactical problems on a scale unheard of for a thousand years, High General Kenobi does not falter.

Enemy reinforcements seem unending. For all their preparation, every single trooper is new to war, and secretly concerned that should they fall, they will be replaced with cadets who hadn’t even finished their training.

Obi-Wan is putting out fires before they can start. Much to their shock, clone commanders are informed that they will, for the time being, remain in charge of their troops. With a handful of exceptions, Jedi ‘Generals’ were in fact, to be treated as a cross between highly skilled commandoes and advisors with abnormally sourced field intelligence. 

“All of you have spent your lives training to lead your brothers into combat. The Jedi Masters and knights who are being assigned to your divisions have not received such training.” 

General Kenobi addressed the division commanders, some in person, some over holocomm. All focused in rapt attention as their General reordered the shape of their lives using language they could understand.

“The command structure I am issuing is designed to maximize our ability to utilize our respective strategic capabilities, while minimizing potential loss of your life. It will be our great privilege to serve alongside such an army, and while I fully expect a complementary exchange of knowledge in time, for now, focus on survival.”

The Jedi received similar briefings, tailored for their broader array of combat and military experience. Some, including Jedi Master Pong Krell and Grandmaster Yoda, were pulled aside and tasked with the essential mission of infiltrating and destroying the Droid factories on Genosis. If they were to have a chance of winning this war, they they would need to cut off the seemingly unceasing flow of droid reinforcements. 

An elite squadron of Arctroopers and Jedi field operatives were covertly dispatched, Grandmaster Yoda himself in command. Considering Count Dooku had yet to appear anywhere near Ryloth...the grandmaster had the best chance of bringing in the fallen separatist leader alive for questioning.

Shortly after they left, Anakin arrived, having finally turned over Padme’s protection to her regular guard. With the military creation vote past, the assassination risk was considered minimal. The real delay in his arrival came from her repeated attempts to join the Grand Army of the Republic on Ryloth with the intent of coordinating humanitarian assistance. Eventually he managed to convince her that she could do more good in the senate. 

After all, he pointed out, someone would need to followup the military creation act with a bill to grant clones equal citizen rights. Otherwise, the legal grey area that cloning fell under and their non-republic origin would inadvertently make the clones slaves. 

His borrowed Nabooan cruiser entered the warzone with the grace and efficiency as a small neutron bomb.

Those close enough to see its flaming descent watched in horror, realizing that the high generals own padawan would likely be a war casualty before he ever engaged in combat.

The legion nearest to soon-to-be-ground-zero, under the command of Captain Rex of the 501st, were distracted by heated combat, as the temporary barricade they had put up to defend the civilian population gave way to droidika artillery. 

While reloading, several dozen troopers happened to look up to see a speck detach itself from the hull as at spiraled in the lower atmosphere. Hope spread that the Jedi had managed to activate some sort of eject hatch. A skilled shocktrooper could probably control and and survive such a fall with luck, which mean a Jedi almost certainly could. 

A few tactical scouts charged with watching the skies confirmed that the speck was indeed a humanoid. No chute was visible, but even 8 days into the war, rumors had already spread about how Master Windu had passed off his chute mid-air to a troopers who had been damaged by suppressing fire, cushioning his free fall solely with the tank he crushed upon landing. 

Only one trooper, stationed in the town clock tower specifically to track the Padawan’s arrival and issued with a high-resolution farscope, saw the whole thing. Fortunately for his credibility later, in its current setting, the scope automatically logged photos every 5 seconds, ensuring that for years to come Obi-Wan would have a flipbook as evidence that he was not the crazy one.

CT-3609 or Blink (as he was named after winning the division wide staring contest on Kamino two year prior) forwarded the trajectory of the vehicle to command, who confirmed his analysis that it would impact two clicks out from their makeshift fort and not present a risk to civilian or trooper lives. 

As it traversed the stratosphere a figure (desperate repair droid, Blink assumed) emerged from the cockpit to perch on the nose of the ship. As it entered the troposphere, it became painfully obvious that the figure jutting out from the hull of the ship was in fact not a humanoid droid, but an unarmored human. The Jedi stood on the prow of the ship, seemingly impervious to and oblivious of:

air resistance 

centrifugal force

normal space gravity 

Blink’s slack-jawed bewilderment

the flames engulfing the ship below him

At this range, the smirk on the man’s face was visible (man? boy? kriff is he even through puberty?). Several miles above the surface he leaped, diving towards the ground like a bird of prey. 

To the west, the ship made impact with the ground, sending a shockwave that shook the tower just enough for Blink to lose visual in the final moments of descent. Cursing, as while he was confident the Jedi would inexplicably survive, he really wanted to see how. The trooper scanned the droid-engulfed farmland to the north for a crash site, to no avail. Lingering smoke from the burnt countryside negatively impacted visibility low to the ground.

Rather than trying to articulate his report into words, he sent the 50-odd frames the farscope had saved, as well as the coordinates for the jedi’s projected radius of touchdown. A quick radio over to long range electro-ballistics ensured that his landing wouldn’t be marred by friendly fire.

He awaited follow-up questions on the absurd entry method, which, when they came, mostly consisted of variations on “...Is this for real?” and eventually “Can you set the scope to video for a little while?” and finally “Do you think that’s how he got the name Skywalker?”

There was a temporarily lull in fire from the west, likely a ripple effect from the ship’s explosion. From his vantage point Blink could see his batchmates using the opportunity to try and plug the holes in their barricade with broken droid pieces. Regardless of the itch to join them, he knew he couldn’t leave his post until the Jedi actually arrived in camp. Finally, a distant explosion and thick pillar of smoke gave the Jedi’s position away.

He tried to make out details, but the scope had a difficult time focusing through the haze. Manually trying to fine tune the scope’s settings, Blink caught a glimpse of what looked like half a hover tank sailing through the air to impact with a trade federation troop carrier in a fiery explosion. Several more explosions, flying droid artillery, and plumes of smoke were caught on record before visual contact with the source was established. He was mostly visible as a blue blur, lightsaber mowing a meandering path towards their location. 

It wasn’t until Skywalker braced himself in place to punch a droidaka into pieces that Blink caught actual sight of the man. Only his eyes were visible, nose and mouth covered by layers of cloth. He blurred, then reappeared on top a massive missile launcher attached to an absurdly heavily armored vehicle. A minute or so of rapid blue flashes passed, the longest he had seen concentrated in one area. Then Skywalker was gone, movement clearly visible as he for once he moved in a straight line, plowing a rapid path away from the launcher. 

Less than 30 seconds later, Blink had to wince away from the scope, as a burning white explosion temporarily overwhelmed the direct light filter. The trooper panicked for a moment, thinking he had gone both deaf and blind, but the abrupt, sucking silence ended after a moment with a deafening sonic boom. The shockwave rattled the farscope, nearly knocking it over, but Blink managed to steady it and himself in time. 

A cheer emerged from pleasantly surprised vod below. The entire droid legion that had been guarding the missile launcher and apparent ordinance bay was flattened. 

It took a moment for the realization to set in that the background noise of missile and and anti-missile collisions directly overhead had slowed pace. With the northern flank gone, artillery were able to redouble efforts to the east, and a second white hot shockwave ensued, signaling that the tide of battle had shifted. It was almost too easy for the republics electro-ballistics to tactically devastate the surrounding forces. 

Eventually some sort of win/loss programming must have set in and all forces outside of a certain radius began retreating southward, conceding the scorched land to the republic army. It was cadets work to clean up the final suicidal droid charge. 

A commotion ensued as Skywalker leapt the barricade with a mid-air flip. The vod greeted him with cheers, as they correctly assumed his appearance had something to do with the skirmish’s decisive victory.

Blink sent the video of the battle to command and quickly packed up his scope and assorted equipment. Hurrying down the battered tower, Blink thought to himself that this Anakin Skywalker was the best sort of Jedi a trooper could ask for.

uh sorry i got really sidetracked there moving on

Kenobi and Skywalker quickly become the face of the war once again

they grit their teeth a bit, but when they finally have a moment to really plan they eventually agree that to take down Sideous they have to cut off his political power in addition to everything else, and taking advantage of their public personas was the most accessible way to do so (*evil laughter*)

While Dooku wasn’t captured, Yoda heard the truth in his old student’s cryptic warnings about a Sith in the Senate, and the council begins carefully editing their release of tactical plans to the Chancellor’s office in the hopes of ferreting out the spy in their midst.

Pong Krell looses two arms in his duel with Dooku. Obi-Wan successfully hides his smug pleasure at the news. Anakin enjoys makeing comparisons between him and Grievous. 

Kenobi doesn’t allow the origin of the clones to go unexamined, although he agrees that if the public were informed that they don’t actually know who ordered them it would probably cause panic.

The ‘inhibitor chips’ are ‘discovered’ early on and Anakin leads the effort to ensure that they are phased out and removed immediately. This consists of reminding every Jedi who even hesitates about how how he as a child slave had some experience with control chips and unless you want to take a leaf out of the hutts books lets start doing brain surgery chop chop mmmkay?

(This isn’t to say that Vader doesn’t still a twinge of shame at acknowledging his slave roots. But it is eclipsed by the burning guilt that he knowingly acted as slave master to his troops for decades after Sideous wiped their minds. He tried to rationalize it to himself, after all he didn’t immediately understand what Order 66 had done to the troopers. But while the morality of murder was more of an intellectual concern than a personal one, treating people as things...)

The Kamonions are a little harder to budge, referencing contracts that they refuse to allow the Jedi to see

Finally Vader snuck into the Chief Medical Scientist’s home while she was sleeping and straight-up threatened to murder her and burn down her lab. At the risk of losing her life’s work, Nala Se complied.

Vader left with the final threat that in the event that Darth Tyranus caught wind and activated Order 66 prematurely, he would kill 100 Kamonians for every Jedi felled by troopers. Shaak Ti was pleased by the cloners sudden change of heart. Tyrannus, and by extension, Sideous, are in the dark. 

Obi-Wan frequently publicly confronts Palpatine about the troops citizen status, urging him make use of his emergency powers to grant them citizenship and full pay, with the option to leave the army should they so wish. 

Anakin manages to play off his avoidance of the Chancellor as disappointment in his perceived lack of dedication to anti-slavery efforts

Finally Palpatine gives in- regardless of what happens next, the troops will be looked after.

With 2/3rds of the troopers dechipped, Vaderkin is eager to kill Sideous again, but after several intense screaming matches and sparring sessions, the time travelers come to the agreement that even if they succeed in their duel, with things as they were, the perception of the Jedi military coop would cause mass civil unrest. The scattered sith apprentices, while individually weak, were more than capable of magnifying that fear and anger until the galaxy breaks. Darth Sideous wanted to ensure that if he couldn’t have the galaxy, no one would. 

(Vader knows this. Sideous enjoyed monologuing, and much of his plotting couldn’t be safely bragged about until after he had decisively won, leaving Vader as the unwilling receptacle for years of pent-up rants and self-satisfied gloats about the inevitability of his victory)

Continued Here

#star wars #my au #star wars au no 9 #wow this is a lot more plot than i meant to write but what else is new #I got incredibly sidetracked and I'm frustrated because I'm not even close to my main point #this happened with au 27 too #is this writing? #screw it I'm posting this I write a folllow up #MAYBE #fanfiction #i guess #how many words is this #3300?? #i mean on one hand that is a lot for me I would be proud of myself if I wasn't ignoring calls from my boss #on the other how the kriff to people just churn out 40000 word fics unreal people #as always every time I try to write it just magnifes the love I have for fic writers y'all are the best #no i will not edit this #this was supposed to be crack #CRACK #bad touch au #sw au

[bytheangell]

If You Don't Belong, Don't Be Long

( @shadowhunterbingo​ square: Body Swap) (Read on AO3)

Magnus is immediately aware that something is wrong. The last thing he remembers is the potion he was making starting to smoke before exploding in his face, and then nothing.

Nothing until now, when he begins to stir back to consciousness with the immediate feeling that something is wrong. Something is horribly wrong. It takes him a moment to pinpoint exactly what that something is: he isn’t breathing. The immediate panic sets in that he’s dead, which isn’t entirely incorrect. It’s just that he also isn’t himself, either.

“Simon? Simon, are you alright?”

The concerned voice hovering over him is Isabelle’s. Magnus almost doesn’t allow himself to open his eyes because he isn’t sure he wants to confirm his suspicions, but in the end, he can’t put it off any longer. Allowing his eyelids to flutter open he sees a very worried Isabelle Lightwood leaning over him - but it isn’t him she’s leaning over. It’s Simon’s body.

He’s in Simon’s body.

“I’m not Simon,” Magnus says. “And I’m most certainly not alright.”

A moment later Izzy’s phone begins to ring. “With any luck, that will be your brother,” Magnus says, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. “If my hunch is right, he’s the one you’ll want to ask about Simon.”

---

“...Magnus?”

The world comes to around him, but instead of being in the Institute where he’d been having lunch with Isabelle, Simon blinks his eyes open to see a room he doesn’t immediately recognize.

“Magnus? Say something. What happened? Should I call Cat?”

Simon immediately recognizes the voice even before Alec’s face focuses into view after a few blinks. It’s then that the area behind him - Magnus’ apothecary in his Loft - registers.

“Wha-” Simon starts to say, then notices the sound of his voice - which is not his voice. And the hand he lifts from the floor to prop himself up isn’t his hand, either. “What the fuck!?”

Simon sits up abruptly enough in his panic that he collides his forehead directly into Alec’s, who starts to lean down at the same time to get a closer look.

“Shit, sorry, Alec,” Simon apologizes instinctively, rubbing at the dull ache in his forehead. He’s surprised by the immediate blue wisps of magic that come into view, moving in a wave over his face. The ache from the impact fades… and then the rest of his face turns entirely numb. “Oh no, I can’t feel my face.”

“Okay, now I’m really worried. Magnus, what’s-”

“Simon. I’m Simon. Alec, what the hell is going on? Why am I in Magnus’ body? What weird Freaky Friday fortune cookie scenario is happening to me right now?”

Alec, to his credit, remains much calmer about this than he probably should, if only to counter Simon’s obvious panicked spiral. “Simon?”

Simon nods.

“Okay…” Alec starts slowly, though Simon can’t imagine any part of this is actually ‘okay’. “Where were you when you… when this happened?”

Simon pauses for a moment. “The last thing I remember was being with Izzy, at the Institute.”

Alec has his phone out before Simon can finish the sentence.

“Iz? Are you with… well, Simon’s body, but it isn’t-” Alec starts, and Simon fidgets with the rings on his (Magnus’) hands when Alec falls abruptly silent, then nods to himself. “Yes. Alright, so that’s… that’s good, right? That they’re both…” Alec pauses again, this time turning to face Simon. “Are you alright?”

Simon holds out his hands, turning them over in front of him. “I mean… I’m as alright as being trapped in Magnus’ body can be, I guess? I could definitely be worse. I mean, not that this is great, but I guess if I have to end up in someone else’s body it’s a good body to-”

Alec cuts him off.

“He’s fine. Still very much... Simon,” Alec says into the phone.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” Simon says indignantly, but Alec is already ignoring him in favor of the phone again.

“Alright, see you in a few,” Alec says before pocketing his phone. “They’ll be here as soon as they can. I don’t suppose you can open a portal, can you?”

Simon shakes his head. “I wouldn’t risk it. I just made my entire face numb when I accidentally tried to heal the bump on my forehead.”

Alec sighs. “Right. How about you don’t do any magic at all until Magnus gets here? I’d like my husband’s physical body intact, please.”

“I’m not so sure I have any actual control over it,” Simon admits, and he can’t keep the slight tremor of nervousness out of his tone at the sight of light blue sparks dancing across his fingertips. “But I’ll try. Promise.”

Simon does try. He also fails, several times, resulting in scorch marks on one of Magnus’ Persian rugs, a broken coffee mug, and a vase that Simon only partially broke, but then tried to use magic to fix and completely obliterated in the process.

“That’s it,” Alec finally mutters. “You’re sitting in the corner and not moving or touching anything until Magnus gets here.”

Simon wonders if Alec is joking or being serious until a moment later when he grabs a chair from the dining room and drags it over to the corner of the loft. Oh. Not joking, then.

Simon almost argues, except after all the trouble he’s caused trying to exist with magic at his fingertips maybe it is for the best if he just does as little existing as possible for now. So Simon sits in the corner, humming to himself until a knock at the front door grabs his attention. He spins around to see Izzy and Magnus - but Magnus in his body, which is way weirder than he anticipated - walk through the door.

“Why is Simon in the corn--” Simon hears his voice start to ask, then fall silent at the shattered remains of the vase and the scorch mark not far from it. “Nevermind.”

Simon winces. “Yeah, uh, sorry about that. But man, am I glad to see you.”

“Don’t be too glad,” Magnus says. “Because I don’t have the slightest idea how to fix this.”

---

Several fire messages and phone calls later, Magnus is only slightly closer to figuring out what went wrong and how to even begin working a counter-spell to reverse the effects.

“Simon’s hair was the only vampire hair sample I had on me, so that must’ve been the connection that tethered us together for the switch,” Magnus says, which is more guesswork than hard fact but it’s the only thing that makes sense. It’s a starting point if nothing else.

It doesn’t help that Magnus has to stop and drink blood, which he immediately hates the idea of, but the longer he puts it off the less focused he gets. It brings back too many unwelcome memories of his time with Camille and all that terrible business with de Quincy. He thought he knew the feeling, thought he understood, but nothing could prepare him for what that instinctive hunger truly feels like.

There are also moments when he becomes suddenly aware that his heart isn’t beating, and needs to take some time to bring himself down from that immediate panic of something being wrong. Each time Alec seems to sense it and stands a little closer, not too close as to crowd, but enough that when Magnus reaches out to feel the warmth of Alec’s hand or the pulse at his boyfriend’s wrist he’s always right there, waiting.

“I hate this,” Magnus mutters to Alec while they’re alone, with Isabelle and Simon out on a food run. He takes the time to lean against Alec’s side, hoping his need to be held just then isn’t too weird for Alec.

“I know you do,” Alec agrees, and to his credit doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Magnus, allowing Magnus to sink into the embrace. “But you’ll figure it out. You’ll fix it. I believe in you.”

That makes one of us, Magnus thinks bitterly, looking across the pages and pages of handwritten notes.

The breakthrough comes when a thorough test of each individual ingredient catches one that isn’t pure, something Magnus picked up weeks ago at a Shadow Market in Italy. From there it’s easy enough for him and Tessa to reverse-engineer a counterspell and potion. Everything seems to be falling into place perfectly until they get to the end and realize one big problem.

It’s a simple enough spell for someone of Magnus’ skill level. And if Magnus was the one performing it they could be back in their bodies by nightfall. Unfortunately...

---

“What do you mean I have to do it?” Simon asks, already shaking his head back and forth. “No. There’s no way! Did you see what I did earlier? Alec, tell them how bad I am at magic!”

Alec looks concerned enough to back up Simon’s claims without speaking at all. “It… wasn’t great,” Alec admits. “You’re sure there’s no other way?”

“No,” Magnus insists. “It has to be Simon. More specifically, it has to be my magic, the same magic that initiated the swap.” Magnus looks over at him with what Simon is sure is meant to be a reassuring smile, but unfortunately, Simon knows all too well what his own face looks like when he’s trying to fake reassurances. It’s absolutely the face staring up at him now.

“Can’t you like, mind-control me and do it, I dunno, through me or something?” Simon suggests hopefully. “You could Encanto me!”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that.”

“We’re doomed,” Simon sighs, slumping Magnus’ body dramatically down into the chair. “We’re going to be stuck like this forever.”

“Please don’t say that,” Alec says. “No offense, but I don’t particularly want to kiss… your body, for lack of better phrasing,” Alec says, motioning to Magnus in Simon’s body.

Izzy glances over at Simon in Magnus’ body with a hint of a smirk. “I dunno, I wouldn’t be opposed to-”

“Izzy!” Simon immediately objects. “Gross! C’mon, Iz” Alec cuts her off at the same time.

“I’m kidding! Just trying to lighten the mood,” she says. “Listen, Simon. You can do this. I know you can. Magnus is going to walk you through it. We’re all going to be here for moral support… and as backup just in case. Not that you’ll need it, because it’s going to be totally fine.”

Izzy crosses over to him and takes his hands in her own, giving them a comforting squeeze. It feels strange to hold her hands like this, something that should be reassuring and familiar feeling too jarringly foreign while he’s in Magnus’ body. He can only imagine how weird it must be for Magnus, inside the body of a teenager who doesn’t have a beating heart.

They need to fix this. Obviously. And if he has to be the one to do it, then… well, then he’s just going to have to figure out a way. He’s relied on others to fix his problems more than once, so it’s only fair he takes a turn fixing one this time around. Even if it is a really, really big one. With potentially terrible consequences for messing up.

“Yeah. I’m sure it’ll be… totally fine,” Simon says, echoing Izzy, though sounding about as confident as a man about to jump out of a plane with no parachute.

Magic, much like being a vampire at the start, does not come instinctively to Simon. As eager as they are to get back into their actual bodies, they both agree to take as long as they need to until they’re confident Simon can complete the spell without messing it up.

It takes five days. Simon can’t help but feel the impatience and frustration growing from the others (namely Alec) with every day that passes, but Magnus reassures Simon that it’s fine. Better to get it right than end up doing even more damage, potentially something irreversible this time.

So it’s nearly a week later when Magnus makes the potion, with the help of Simon using his magic as needed before it’s time for them to drink it and for Simon to complete the spell. Simon draws the sigil on the floor in black ash flawlessly - after how often he practiced it he could probably draw it in his sleep, but it’s still a pleasant surprise to not need a single re-do.

When it comes time to summon the magic for the spell itself, he can only hope that five days was enough practice on how to call what he needs and not anything more, or anything malicious. Simon does his best to ignore the tense forms of Alec and Isabelle waiting off to the side of the room, just in case-

No. No just in case. They aren’t going to need them to get help because he can do this. He has to be able to do this.

Simon locks eyes with Magnus, who nods once - then Simon calls forth the magic and speaks the incantation.

Slowly, the corners of the sigil begin to glow, the dim light shifting toward the center. A sudden burst of blinding light rises up around them, reminding Simon of the flash grenades he’s seen in countless movies and video games. It’s the last thought he has before everything goes black.

---

Magnus can feel the familiar weight of his own body before he even opens his eyes. He’s overly aware of his fingers and toes on the ends of arms that are the right length once more, of the comfortingly soft silk against his torso from his shirt, and the slight chill of the cool air along the shaved sides of his head as he blinks his eyes open and sits up from the floor.

“Magnus? Are you, you?” Alec asks. He and Isabelle both stand at the edge of the circle, obviously unsure as to whether crossing it would ruin anything.

“I’m me, Alexander,” Magnus confirms, holding his hand up to bring a small ball of magic into his palm before allowing it to fade away again. He’s exhausted but manages a small smile just the same. “You can step into the circle, it’s over now.”

The Lightwoods don’t need to be told twice, and a moment later Alec is helping Magnus up while Izzy kneels beside Simon, brushing a strand of hair out of his face as he beings to stir.

“I never thought I’d see the day that not feeling my heartbeat would be reassuring,” Simon mutters, still sprawled on the ground but with open eyes. Magnus watches Izzy laugh before kissing Simon and looks away just in time for Alec to bring a hand to the side of his face before kissing him as well.

“I never want to go that many days without kissing you ever again,” Alec whispers the words against Magnus’ lips, barely pulling back enough to speak them.

“Next time I end up in another body I’ll try not to make it your sister’s boyfriend so we can still make out in the interim,” Magnus whispers back, earning him a light hit on the side of the arm from Alec who pulls away fully, laughing.

After days of nothing but strain and worry, it’s nice to hear such easy laughter coming from any of them again, but especially from Alec. It’s just one of many sounds he can’t wait to hear from Alec again - hopefully sooner rather than later.

Magnus hadn't meant for his mind to turn there, but once it does it's all he can think about. Simon and Isabelle must catch the look Magnus and Alec share because a moment later they’re asking for a portal back to the Institute, which Magnus opens with his usual flourish and ease.

It’s certainly good to be back.

#magnus bane #simon lewis #malec #alec lightwood #isabelle lightwood #sizzy #shadowhunters #bodyswap #ShadowhunterBingo #hmdiscord #long post #elle writes a few deadbeat lines #elle talks too much

[secret-time-is-here]

An Error's Journey

Chapter 25

Previous - First - Next

He expected to wake up to a mattress on the floor again, the line between dreams and reality blurring. It was hard to tell how much he was going to remember, how long he felt like he was reliving his memories, and when he would return to being the feared destroyer of worlds.

“Error? Are you coming to?” Nightmare’s deep voice spoke softly.

“Weird way ta refer to wakin’ up, ‘Mare.” The glitch slurred, his eyes heavy, body warm and comfortable.

“Error...” Nightmare started, sighing, “I… You…” The other tried again, “...There was a reboot bar above your head all night.” The guardian deadpanned.

Error slowly opened his eyes to Nightmare’s concerned face, a rare occurrence to see even by the gang. Then again, the two of them always kept each other a little closer than they kept the gang.

The negative offered a hand and helped Error slowly sit up-easing the old scared and injured bones into a better position. “It wasn’t exactly a reboot bar, however… it took some time to discern exactly what it said-written in binary rather than letters-but it does confirm some things.”

“Night, you don’t gotta beat around the bush for me.”

“The bar said it was recovering lost data… so those for sure are your memories, but this brings worries to the table. These...” Nightmare gestured with his hands for a moment, “...recoveries could happen any time-they aren’t dreams. They could happen during battle for all we know. It doesn’t help you don’t get any rest during them-so you could start passing out during the day too, and sleeping seems to-”

“Woah, slow down.” Nightmare finally stopped, a frown engraved into his expression, “Worrying ain’t gonna help us.”

“How are you not worried about this?”

“I am… for now though, it seems like I just have to wait things out. Core will tell me everything in due time, and for now, we are safe from whatever shared enemy we have.”

“But how long do we have?”

“Well, Core ain’t rushing me to find my team yet, and they’re the one that wants us to beat this person the most so I think it’s safe to say we have a good amount of time.”

-----

Thanks to Core’s little news drops on his ex, he can find a good time frame on how long ago he’s remembering-and can finally estimate how much longer he has to remember. Unfortunately, it’ll take some good digging in the more off-limits area of the Omegatimeline’s library, but he has a few ways he can get in there. Who knew his side hobby of studying religion would become so useful?

Slipping into the Omegatimeline was easy as per usual, stepping into the back office of his small studio apartment-sized workshop. On his desk still lay his latest commission, as well as the files for a new shop somewhere in the main square of Omega-one specific location incredibly close to the grand library Omega boasted. It would be a wise choice since he would likely need to verify when he’s remembering often.

Pushing the document off to the side, he made his way out of the building, weaving through mid-day traffic and making it to the ancient mansion that is the Omega Library. Being there often enough, he made his way to the back sections easily, even greeting the workers that saw him so often along the way. It’s amazing how much a mask can let you relax and give you a chance to start over.

The security guard recognized him, nodding their head and letting him pass through to the old tomes that record the centuries of history and precious information. The room was hardly lit, a space rarely ventured with sparse armchairs and a simple few couches surrounding a coffee table in the middle. Stairs reaching high and low, making it one of the tallest towers as well as the longest basements in the Omegatimeline.

“Oh! Hiya Mr.M!” Ink’s cheerful voice chirped from the center couches, “Didn’t expect to see you here!”

“Nor did I.” Error tried to calm himself, battle instincts raging inside of him, but poker face set in stone. “Not to overstep, my divine, but I didn’t think you’d spend your free time in a library-much less the more forbidden sections.”

“My divine-? Oh yeah, I’m a God.” The creator chuckled to himself, “Honestly, you live so long you forget sometimes. I like brushing up on Omega history every now and again-since it existed for a good, I dunno, at least a good couple centuries before I did.”

“You… weren’t one of the first timelines?”

“Uh...” Ink pulled out his personal tome-the same as the last time he saw it, faintly fizzling with traces of his magic-and flicked to a page, “Nope! Ya would think they’d have that written down-pretty sure they still have a book on me somewhere in here.”

Ink got up from his seat, looking over the ledge down to the lower levels and up above. “Think it’s… eh I can’t even make a guess.” He shrugged, “Anyhow, yeah. Omega’s older than me.”

“I had always thought you were one of the oldest in the multiverse-reaching to Core’s age...”

“Nah, there’s a good handful here in Omega that can say they’re older than me-and plenty of people out there in the multiverse that are older too. There’s the basic names: Classic, Fell, Cobalt, and Hearts-although he’s left the council now...”

There’s a boast, being older than the God of Creation. Classic and Fell were easy enough to know, and if you did your research, Cobalt was too. He came to be a part of Omega after Blue, so he ended up with a different name-but he is from the original Underswap timeline, although the timeline has long since been abandoned. The whole place corrupted and destroyed. Blue would be up there on the list too, but he’s far more recognized for being a part of the Star Sans’ than being the second Underswap timeline.

Silence stretched for a moment, “Oh right-why are you here? Sorry, still trying to keep up with proper manners and all that, Dream’s been getting on my spine about it.”

“I came to brush up on my history as well, although it's for a more recent project of mine rather than fun.” He spoke confidently, the twist of words no lie. Technically, it was a project to find out what he was remembering, it doesn’t matter if Ink thinks it's a project for his Divine research.

“Well, any project can be for fun!” Ink’s voice picked up again, a wide smile stretched on his face, “I assume you mostly know the divine area-so I can lead you over to the older history sections.” Ink began to walk away, gesturing for Error to follow, “Takes forever to get to it if you don’t know where it starts.” Ink commented, making his way down the stairs.

“Wouldn't it start at the bottom?”

“I don’t know what system they use-can’t judge though, I have zero organizing skills-what was I saying? Right-don’t know how they arrange things, but it actually starts three floors down-not the full eleven or so. I think they just expand the basement for each new century.” Ink shrugged, weaving through towers of books and bookshelves like they were attacks on a battlefield.

Error quickly followed, not with nearly as much grace as the shorter God, but still making his way through. “Anyway, the first one starts here, simple enough.” Ink turned towards him, “I should be heading back up-hope to see ya again buddy.”

“Any time, my divine.”

“Eh, no need for those fancy-schmancy titles, fuck, even Ink is more than enough. Besides, anyone can become a God-look at me!” He gestured to himself, “Haha, for all I know you could be a God! So no point in those formalities.”

“Alright... Ink.”

The other only nodded and casually walked off back towards the stairs. It’s almost funny how different he is normally compared to in battle.

In the back of his mind, he can feel a cloud of memories-of unrecovered data that would make this moment nostalgic. That could connect to that tome. That could connect to those little blurs of moments he can see in his inner eye. That could connect him and Ink somewhere in the past.

It didn’t even take a moment for him to accept he won’t remember what that connection is for a good while.

He looked around for a moment, reaching out with his magic to see if any soul was nearby before pulling up his panels. The basic timeline beginning to fall into place in his mind as he reread through his notes.

He’s nearly as old as the recorded history of the multiverse, which is roughly just over one thousand years-and with Core’s hint about the balance of the multiverse, he can guess that around the time Ink was created he was turned into a God. He knows that the antivoid turned him into the error he is now, and therefore, also gave him the Godly powers he has. How he got into the antivoid, he can’t pinpoint-but he can find exactly where he is in his memories.

Hearts, or Lust at the time, had become a member of the council about two decades after the recorded history of the multiverse. However, Ink is only a few centuries younger than the multiverse, so that still leaves several centuries' worth of memories before he became an error, and there are plenty of centuries of being an error that he still doesn’t remember.

Small details kept itching at the back of his mind, the saved news articles having small things that just left him on edge. How Core would disappear and reappear in Omega… how Core reappeared in Omega not long after Lust joined the council.

He was stunned to find other details, like how Death had been a part of the council for a time, disappearing sometime after Core reappeared. His sudden disappearance reminded him of his most recent memories...

“I would not be surprised if he started to pay more attention to you from now on.”

What could have happened-what did happen that would cause Reaper to completely disappear from the council like that? Disappear from Omega entirely? What tragedy or paradise awaited him the next time he was to recover his lost data?

Core has already confirmed that they somewhat guided or helped his team-did Core direct Death to stay by his side for a time? A buddy to help him while Core attended to other responsibilities? Or was it to help each other out?

“With the way I’ve directed them, and the way I’m directing you, any of you should be able to help each other and be able to pull the other back if anything does go wrong.”

The latter seems most likely, and with only the two of them existing at the time-as far as his confirmed team goes-it would be an easy way for Core to keep an eye on them. To make sure nothing decides to suddenly go off track.

He continued to read through the different accounts and newspaper clippings, finding that Death had come back for about a century at some point before officially leaving the council. Even more accounts saying that he completely disappeared from the Omegatimeline again not long after that. Although from personally knowing the God, Error knew well Death still has access to Omega, and visits often for coffee-and probably to visit Ink now too.

By the time he had finished up his notes, the Library was near closing, and he headed back to his workshop, creating a portal to a random AU in the safety of the back of his workshop.

The random AU thankfully was abandoned, and he allowed himself to relax under the stars of the world’s night sky. Enjoying the feeling of anonymity amongst the tall grasses of the wide plains.

He thought back to the first time he saw the stars, helping Hearts to the surface of his AU...

...He didn’t know how to feel about that memory anymore.

“Error…?” Dream’s voice was cautious, rightfully so. Error grunted as polite of a greeting he could offer to his enemy, “I do hope you aren’t destroying this AU...”

“I’m not allowed to relax somewhere?” He asked sarcastically, silence following suit. He scoffed, “Ya’know what? Don’t bother answerin’ that. I’m not destroying it right now and that’s all ya need ta know.”

He could hear the faint rustling of Dream sitting down, the subtleties of the long blades of grass parting for the younger as loud as cannons to his keen hearing. He could hardly relax with the other so close by, too focused on trying to pick up any quiet warp of a portal or ping of Dream making an arrow. The creak of his bow pulling back-ready to strike Error down once and for all.

“Error… we may be enemies, but it does not take a friend to tell that you’ve been off lately.” Dream spoke lightly, concern dripping through his even tone.

“I’m not talking about this with you. Fuck off.”

“Does this change mean you will quit destroying?”

“Stars if I know, you’re acting like ya want to be my friend or some mushy shit like that.”

“The multiverse comes first before everything else for me, but I can not deny that much like Ink… you do pique my curiosity.” Error huffed, still tense, but the easy banter relaxing him somewhat, “If things were different, I’ll admit I would give you a chance.”

Error burst out laughing at that, thinking back to his conversation with Ink earlier that day, how easily he wore the mask of Lapse D. Mode. How the other didn’t even think he was accidentally giving the Destroyer a second chance. Now he wants to copy the same with Dream just to see what would happen.

Dream happened to give him the perfect idea for a cover, “Why the laughter? I am sure you know I try my best to speak with honesty.”

“You’re an idiot to be honest with ya enemy-and givin’ me of all people a second chance? Ya really think I’d believe that?” He spoke with great confidence, acting out a mockery of his insane days with ease.

“It’s not being an idiot, it’s called living by my morals.” Dream glared, his facade of positivity falling with no one else nearby-just like their last battle.

“Morals are easily corrupted,” Error challenged, standing up, his form towering over Dream, “People are easily corrupted, the world as we know it is easily corrupted.”

“Must you think the dark of everything?” Dream stood up, one hand ready to grab his bow if need be.

“Must you see the good in everything?” Error mocked, Dream’s glare dropped.

“...Error, why are you covering? You do know I can read your emotions just like Nightmare, do you not-? I can tell when you’re faking or not.”

Just like Nightmare? Could Dream be one of the other two? Could he come from the same place as Nightmare?

“Ya really think I’d tell ya?”

“I think you are hiding something,” Dream seemed to be trying to read past his poker face, “I think you want to talk about it, but for some reason, you can not.”

“Ya’know, if ya think about it, everyone’s hidin’ somethin’. Some of us just got more ta hide than others.”

“So you do not deny having a secret?”

“Nope. No point, ya can probably tell if I’m lying or not.” He shrugged, “Do you have a secret? We can trade...”

“I am sorry to say, but I have nothing to hide.”

“Not even ya past? Not a secret ‘bout where ya came from? Not a secret of that precious Omega ya hold so dearly?”

“Unlike you, Error, I live openly. I come from Dreamtale, was held in stone for a century, and had to adjust to life on the run until Ink found me. I live in safety in Omega, and fight anyone who threatens the health of the multiverse.”

“Safety? Haha, you call Omega safe?”

“That I do… If not trade a secret, may we have a trade of information? I am sure you were unaware of at least one thing I listed.”

“Hmm, I dunno, I’m pretty sure I knew all of what ya listed. Isn’t it written down in a book ‘bout ya in the back of the forbidden area of the grand Omega Library...? Written by an old professor at the local college?” Dream’s expression paled with shock, “Not so safe, is it?”

Error walked around Dream until they were back to back, “I’ll still take a secret for a secret...”

The other went silent, and Error’s poker face dropped, now unseen by the other. “Time’s a tickin’-I’m a very busy skeleton Dream.”

“...I was not born a God.” Dream muttered darkly as if reliving the experience that turned him into one-which Error was sure was not happy.

Dream turned around, and so did Error. The positive offered his hand to shake, “A secret for a secret.”

“...Are you sure?” He smirked, Dream nodded, “You do know, no matter what I tell ya, it can’t be confirmed? As far as I know, there isn’t a single book out there written on me, not a single piece of information unless it’s in the memories of the monster I know-which all are bound to secrecy if they do know me.”

Dream nodded again, “Fine then… it’s not really a secret-but something that no one else knows about… I have a secret life outside the battlefield.”

“Wha-How?!”

“Does it matter? I gotta have a safe place of my own pretty boy.” The hint of yellow on Dream’s cheekbones momentarily reminded him of someone else…

“...Then why keep destroying? If you managed to make a life of your own elsewhere-”

Error didn’t have an answer.

-

All characters belong to their respected creators

#Undertale #UTMV #utmv #AEJ #An Error's Journey #AEJ Chapter 25 #Chapter 25 #Error sans #Error #Lapse D Mode #L.D.M. #Nightmare sans #Nightmare #Ink sans #Ink #Dream sans #Dream #Reaper sans #Death #Reaper #CORE Frisk #Core

[tigerkirby215]

5e Viego, the Ruined King build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Pan Chengwei. Made for Riot Games.)

What? Did you expect me not to make this? It’s the goddamn Ruined King! He’s finally out after all these years! I mean sure he’s a goddamn twink but still; he’s finally out! Also Samira build is coming out 35 years from now.

And even though I put a Warlock TikTok meme in my last video, here’s a whole bunch of them because... yeah no shit he’s a Hexblade... Of the Ruined King.

GOALS

Ruin to all! - MIST'S EDGE: Basic attacks deal a percentage of the target's current health bonus physical damage on-hit.

Serve me in death - If you ever wanted to play as the enemy for a bit Viego will let you take a ghost or two; as a treat.

The mist is my great unending sadness - Foggy days are typical for an edgy boy, and King Ruin is so edgy he wants to cover the entire world with fog! Yeah that “mist is sadness” quote is real; I got it from the Wiki.

RACE

Viego is a human... but he has a great degree of variance. We’ll be going for yet another Variant Human because we’re not allowed any monster champions anymore. As a Variant Human you get a +1 in two different stats of your choice: increase your Charisma and Strength by 1 for the strength to be beautiful for your queen. You also get proficiency in a skill of your choice: Perception will let you see through the mist and search far-and-wide for your queen. And you get a language of your choice: Abyssal seems reasonable to speak to the mist.

Of course the main appeal of Variant Human is the feat at level 1, and to swing the Blade of the Ruined King Great Weapon Master will let you cut through a percentage of the enemy’s health! When you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon (such as a greatsword), you can choose to take a -5 penalty to your hit chance. If you do hit you’ll do an extra 10 damage with your strike! And as an added bonus when you score a critical hit (with a melee weapon) or kill a creature, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action!

ABILITY SCORES

15; CHARISMA - League of shirtless anime boys amIrite? Gotta look good for Isolde.

14; DEXTERITY - Repeat after me: “something something Medium Armor.”

13; STRENGTH - This is a requirement for another one of the classes we’ll be taking. Yup this isn’t just straight 20 levels in Hexblade!

12; CONSTITUTION - A ruined king with a blackened heart is still allowed to have some health.

10; WISDOM - Destroying the entire planet just to simp for your wife isn’t the wisest move.

8; INTELLIGENCE - Nor is it the smartest.

BACKGROUND

You were the king of a long-forgotten nation, so unfortunately noble wouldn’t work. But you still have servants! The Knight background grants proficiency in the History that you lived through as well as Persuasion to get Isolde back. You also get proficiency with a Gaming Set and Language of your choice, which I’d say pick your fancy.

But the main reason we’re taking Knight (and not Noble) is for Retainers! You get three knights sworn to your kingdom (Kalista, Hecarim, and the third one) who will do mundane tasks for you. While Hecarim may be up for a slaughter unfortunately your retainers can’t do anything in combat and won’t follow you into dangerous locations. And of course if you treat your subjects poorly they will leave you. But it can always be useful to have more spirits in the mist to search for her!

(Artwork by @thejenneralchen on Twitter)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - PALADIN 1

Hah! Did you think we’d be starting with Warlock? Put simply we need things from Paladin more, notably the proficiencies as well as starting equipment. Dude imagine having to spend 3200 gold to buy the sword literally named after you? But for now you might just want to grab a Longsword to start. Regardless Paladins get proficiency in two skills from the Paladin list: Athletics are required in the jungle, and Intimidation will let everyone meet know that you will stop at nothing for her! You fucking simp...

You also get Divine Sense to sense the beasts of the mist, or your queen. As an action you can know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the creature type, but not its identity. Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated. (Have a feeling you’ll find a lot of desecrated areas.) You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier plus 1, and regain all uses at the end of a Long Rest.

And you can restore a bit of health thanks to Lay on Hands. You have a pool of healing equal to 5 times your Paladin level that comes back at the end of a Long Rest. You can heal a creature for any number of hitpoints from that pool as an action when you touch them, or cure a disease / poison affecting them with 5 hitpoints. Man that would’ve been useful a couple of thousand years ago, huhn?

LEVEL 2 - WARLOCK 1

Time to pick up the Sword of the Ruler of the Mist. Hm... There has to be a better way of saying that. Regardless Warlocks get to choose their subclass at level 1 and to get a comedically large sword that saps peoples’ lifeforce we’ll be opting for the one, the only Hexblade patron! As a Hex Warrior you can wield martial weapons as well as medium armor (which you already could cause Paladin), but can also choose to swing a sword with your Charisma instead of your Strength or Dexterity. Which is great because you’re not exactly the buff sort. Unfortunately you can’t use a two-handed greatsword just yet, which is why I said you’d do good to grab a longsword instead.

But if you are locked in combat Hexblade’s Curse will make sure that you can dispose of them quickly. As a bonus action you can mark a target for 1 minute. During that time you do bonus damage equal to your proficiency bonus to the cursed target, crit on a 19 or a 20, and regain hit points equal to your warlock level + your Charisma modifier when you kill them. The curse ends early if the target dies, you die, or you are incapacitated.

And of course as a Warlock you get Pact Magic. You learn two cantrips and two leveled spells: Eldritch Blast will let you manipulate the mists for a ranged attack, and Prestidigitation will help you keep clean and kingly despite all the black mist flowing out of that gaping stab wound in your chest. As for leveled spells Armor of Agathys will let you put on some Thornmail to keep your health up and hit your foes back, and I mean Shield is on the Hexblade expanded spell list anyways so we may as well use it.

LEVEL 3 - WARLOCK 2

Second level Warlocks get Eldritch Invocations as the mist manipulates your body and soul. For now take Devil’s Sight to see through your Harrowed Path with your dumb human eyes, and we’ll be leaving the other invocation slot open for a level.

You also get another spell but all the other first level spells don’t really interest me. Yeah we’re not taking Hex you’re going to have to live with it!

LEVEL 4 - WARLOCK 3

Third level Warlocks get their Pact Boon for a particular tool of the Warlock trade, and to wield a weapon of spectral steel grab Pact of the Blade! The long and short of it is you can make yourself any melee weapon, and Hex Warrior affects any weapon you summon with this feature! This means that you can actually wield a two-handed Greatsword, but feel free to choose other options. Especially now that you can take the Improved Pact Weapon invocation to turn that Cutlass of the Twink King into a +1 weapon, and also summon yourself a gun (shortbow / longbow / light crossbow / heavy crossbow) if you so desire. But I mean, why would you when you have Eldritch Blast?

You can also add some second level spells to your list like Darkness to walk a Harrowed Path through the mist, though remember that even if you can see through the mist your allies probably can’t. And Misty Step, because something something Flash.

LEVEL 5 - WARLOCK 4

4th level means the first of many Ability Score Improvements. Charisma is used for everything that you do so... maybe increase that?

You also get another spell and another cantrip! For your cantrip Mage Hand is helpful to manipulate the mist to grab things from high places. As for leveled spells Blur is on the Hexblade list... but why would you take that instead of Mirror Image, which doesn’t require Concentration.

(Artwork by @WetHamster1 on Twitter)

LEVEL 6 - WARLOCK 5

5th level Warlocks get more Eldritch Invocations. To knock a foe down with Spectral Maw take Eldritch Smite, letting you channel a spell slot into a particularly deadly slash of your Viego’s Edge.

If you want an extra attack early you can also replace Improved Pact Weapon with Thirsting Blade, which is now available. But we will be getting Extra Attack from other sources later.

You can also now learn third level spells like Vampiric Touch for a bit of lifesteal. As a treat.

LEVEL 7 - WARLOCK 6

6th level Hexblades can put their passive to work, and have spirits serve your Sovereign's Domination. Accursed Specter lets you use the soul of a humanoid you killed and make it serve you, using the stats of a specter with temporary hit points equal to half your Warlock level and a bonus to hit equal to your Charisma modifier. The specter remains in your service until the end of your next long rest, which is good because you can use the ability once per Long Rest. The specter rolls initiative separately from you, and obeys your commands.

And hey: you’ve already got ghosts fighting for you, so why not summon your depression to fight as well? Summon Shadowspawn from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything (requires a 300 gold gemstone containing tears and) summons a spirit of Fury, Despair, or Fear to fight alongside you. There’s a lot of specifics to this spell that I don’t want to go into (its actual description does a far better job than I ever could) but the important thing to note is that it’ll give you another loyal follower.

LEVEL 8 - PALADIN 2

Time for a few levels in that other class we have. Second level Paladins can choose their Fighting Style and of course to swing a Shank of the Former Blessed Isles Great Weapon Fighting (style) will let you reroll low die to more reliably cut through the mists.

Paladins also get Spellcasting at level 2, and unlike with Warlock casting you actually get some spell slots! You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Charisma modifier plus half your Paladin level (rounded down.) Divine Favor will let you do a bit more damage with your titular blade, and if you want more of a burst of damage then either Thunderous Smite or Wrathful Smite will do some more damage along with additional effects. To protect yourself from the mists and others who’d want to keep you from Isolde take Protection from Evil and Good. And to borrow a death realm from the other world-ending lord of Runeterra take Compelled Duel.

Of course you could ignore all that spellcasting stuff for even more Damage of the Ruined Blade! Divine Smite will let you do 2d8 damage with a first level spell slot, plus an additional 1d8 per spell slot above first, up to a maximum of 5d8 (with a 4th level slot.) Additionally if you hit an undead or fiend you’ll do an extra d8, meaning that with a 4th level spell slot you can do 6d8 damage!

The real neat thing is that this works with Smite spells as well as the Eldritch Smite invocation, allowing you to effectively use two spell slots at once to smite if you so desire.

LEVEL 9 - PALADIN 3

3rd level Paladins get to choose their Divine Oath and nothing will stop your Oath of Conquest to save your queen. You get to add the Command spell to your spell list, as well as Armor of Agathys... Uh woups. Uh we’ll address that when we go back to Warlock.

You get two Channel Divinity options: to keep others from stopping you from reaching your queen Conquering Presence will let you force a Wisdom save on units of your choice within 30 feet to frighten them! Alternatively Guided Strike is like Great Weapon Master but in reverse, giving you +10 to hit. This means that if you use Great Weapon Master as well you’d have a +5 to hit and do +10 damage! But remember that you only have one Channel Divinity per short rest.

You also get Divine Health, because simps don’t take sick days.

LEVEL 10 - PALADIN 4

4th level Paladins get another Ability Score Improvement, and we still use Charisma for basically everything so with this you can cap it off completely!

You can also prepare two more spells but... there isn’t much I want from first level? I mean you can take Cure Wounds for a bit of healing... as treat.

LEVEL 11 - PALADIN 5

5th level Paladins get an Extra Attack. If you took Thirsting Blade from Warlock you might want to replace that too.

You can also prepare second level Paladin spells now! As a Conquest Paladin you get Hold Person to stun with Spectral Maw, and Spiritual Weapon for more soldiers from the mist. You can also prepare Aid to strengthen your army and Branding Smite to see your foes through the mist.

(Artwork by @vmatbox on Twitter)

LEVEL 12 - WARLOCK 7

Back to Warlock to replace a lot of things. But firstly you get another Eldritch Invocation: take Trickster's Escape for an emergency QSS.

You also get 4th level spells like Shadow of Moil to become a creature of the mist, and also to get an upgrade from the Darkness spell (which you might want to replace.) Speaking of replacing spells: you got Armor of Agathys from Paladin so replace it with Hallucinatory Terrain to cover the land with mist.

LEVEL 13 - WARLOCK 8

8th level Warlocks get another Ability Score Improvement or a Feat. We’ll be taking the Eldritch Adept feat for more Eldritch Invocations. Which Eldritch Invocation? Why Undying Servitude of course, for more servants of the mist!

D&D Beyond tip: Replace Devil’s Sight and then give yourself 120 feet of Darkvision on the sheet.

You can also get another 4th level spell like Dimension Door, to travel far and wide in a flash to reach your queen.

LEVEL 14 - WARLOCK 9

Hey more Eldritch Invocations! Whispers of the Grave will let you speak to the fragments of Isolde’s soul.

LEVEL 15 - WARLOCK 10

And hey: 5th level spells finally! To strike a foe with Heartbreaker take 

Negative Energy Flood, sundering their health and making them rise to serve you if you end up killing them.

10th level Hexblades get Armor of Hexes. If the target affected by your Hexblade’s Curse hits you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to roll a d6. On a 4 or higher, the attack instead misses you, regardless of its roll. Naturally this ability makes you particularly good in a 1v1 with whoever you target for Ruination.

You don’t get another spell but you do get a cantrip. Take Toll the Dead to deal with enemies who have high armor, for the mist comes for all.

(Artwork by @stingrae36 on Twitter)

LEVEL 16 - WARLOCK 11

11th level Warlocks get their 6th level Mystic Arcanum, which looks like a spell slot and acts like a spell slot (IE it comes back after a Long Rest, not a Short one) but can’t be used to upcast your other spells. You can only use it to cast one spell, and for an AoE Heartbreaker take good ol’ Circle of Death.

Also more spells known from your regular Warlock slots: Banishing Smite is on the Hexblade list, and can be used to send any demons back to whence they came.

LEVEL 17 - WARLOCK 12

12th level Warlocks get an Ability Score Improvement or a Feat. I have no idea what else to grab so take the Tough feat for a much needed 24 hitpoint increase to a primarily melee-based character.

You also get another Eldritch Invocation so it’s finally time to get the true Blade of the Ruined King damage with Lifedrinker! This will make any foe struck by your Pact Weapon take an additional 5 necrotic damage. This means that you should be doing 2d6 + 11 damage with every swing of a (+1) Greatsword!

LEVEL 18 - WARLOCK 13

More Mystic Arcanum, this time at 7th level! Power Word Pain will let you subjugate the weak.

And more regular spells: Danse Macabre lets you get more servants forever loyal at your side!

LEVEL 19 - WARLOCK 14

14th level Hexblades are Master of Hexes. Put simply: when a creature affected by Hexblade’s Curse dies, you can apply the curse to a different creature you can see within 30 feet of you. (Though you won’t be healed for the last foe’s death.) This will let you bounce your curse around and reap all its benefits constantly, becoming a master of your own blade.

LEVEL 20 - WARLOCK 15

Our last level is the 15th level of Warlock for a handful of benefits. Firstly we can get an 8th level Mystic Arcanum: Feeblemind is the ultimate tool to truly sunder the weak and discard the chaff.

Secondly you can get your level 15 Eldritch Invocations, and to never mistake Isolde’s face Witch Sight will let you see through any illusion that may be hiding her!

You may also want to replace Improved Pact Weapon as by this point you’ve likely found something better than a regular old +1 greatsword. Visions of Distant Realms and Shroud of Shadows are both very good options.

And we can finally get our last spell: as you gather enough information on the new world Scrying will help you expand your search further beyond!

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Surrender to me! - Two smites plus Great Weapon Master on an already deadly blade results in absolutely devastating spikes of damage with your sword. God forbid you crit!

The black mist flows from me like a tide - You also have plenty of tricks to give you an upper hand in longer combats. Hexblade’s Curse of course, but also Armor of Agathys, Shadow of Moil, and Spiritual Weapon.

Fight, puppet; fight for your king! - You can summon all manner of ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, zombies, and everything in between to serve in your search for your queen.

CONS

The world denied my happiness - Low ability scores mean that your skills won’t be amazing. The ones you’re proficient in are alright but you aren’t much help outside of being deadly and being royal.

Answer for your crimes, death; answer me! - We didn’t take the 6th level of Paladin which means we didn’t get Aura of Protection. As a result your saving throws are rather low, and while I tried to avoid grabbing too many Concentration spells yo do still have quite a few, which is not at all helped by your meager +1 to CON.

She remains in this world; I can feel it - All the melee tools in the world don’t mean much when you lack any proper way to get close. You have Eldritch blast sure but beyond Dimension Door (which granted is very strong) enemies can easily keep their distance from the mad king with a big blade. Even if you want to use Dimension Door you have a very limited amount of spell slots.

But the world can only hide from the Ruination for so long. The black mist comes, and with it you come to search for your queen. Nothing can stop you; nothing will stop you until you have her again. The world shall be torn to shreds and shattered beyond repair, as long as you can have your queen... Or like, just find a Wish spell or something? Shame you’re a couple thousand years old because True Resurrection doesn’t even work anymore.

(Artwork by Bo “chenbowow” Chen. Made for Riot Games.)

#dnd #dnd build #dnd guide #League of Legends #League of Legends Viego #League of Legends Ruined King #Ruined King #LoL Ruined King #Blade of the Ruined King #dnd warlock

[homosociallyyours]

@velvet-impala tagged me to answer this long set of questions, and bc I love this sort of thing I’m DOING IT! I’ll tag folks here just in case you don’t want to read thru this whole dang thing. But I wanna say: if you want to do this, PLEASE DO IT and tag me so I can see-- I *love* reading responses to stuff like this. But @la-paritalienne @disgruntledkittenface @and-id-marry-larry @calmrry @crinkle-eyed-boo @lightwoodsmagic -- y’all are tagged :) 

1. Do you prefer writing with a black pen or blue pen? black, but what matters most is how smoothly it writes.

2. Would you prefer to live in the country or city? walkable neighborhood in a city. 3. If you could learn a new skill what would it be? would love to learn how to hack into billionaire bank accounts without getting caught so i could redistribute their wealth to a variety of mutual aid funds. :)  4. Do you drink your tea/coffee with sugar? no, just milk! unless it’s really shitty/bitter coffee, and then i will take it with a couple sugars or sweetened creamer. 

5. What was your favourite book as a child? probably the Anne of Green Gables books  6. Do you prefer baths or showers? showers! i wanna love a bath, but i get bored too fast and i never feel comfortable (where do i put my head? my feet? what do i do when my belly isn’t covered by the water and it gets cold?) so they’re meh. 

7. If you could be a mythical creature, which one would it be? dryad! i wanna be a tree spirit!

8. Paper or electronic books? paper, i guess. but i do love reading fic electronically, so..

9. What is your favourite item of clothing? used to be my work hoodie. but now i would say this blue striped button down i have OR this one black dress i have with 3/4 sleeves that’s really soft and comfy. 

10. Do you like your name or would you like to change it? i always meant to start going by Dottie when I got older, but it hasn’t happened yet so it probably won’t by now? but i would never change my name generally speaking. 

more after the cut! 

  11. Who is a mentor to you? i had a co-worker who was really a mentor for me since i got into being a cheesemonger in 2008. he’s been in the industry for a long time and basically recruited me to the job i have/had here. but when i got sick he basically dropped me/hasn’t spoken to me in a long time. let me tell you: it fucking sucks. bc a mentor is a cross between a friend and a colleague and a relative; we jokingly called him my lesbian uncle. and so losing him from my life so completely over something like this is deeply shitty. 

12. Would you like to be famous and if so, what for?  not now, but before i was sick i would’ve said yes. BUT only bc i think i would be a great Saturday Night Live host (not a cast member! just a one time host with a monologue/skits). So whatever level of fame i needed to get that..

13. Are you a restless sleeper? I have really bad insomnia that means i take at least an hour to fall asleep most nights. Once I’m out, I usually sleep ok, but i do have intense dreams/nightmares that wake me up sometimes. 

14. Do you consider yourself a romantic person? yeah :/

15. Which element best represents you? earth: the wet dirt and leaves in a forest after rain in particular

16. Who do you want to be closer to? emotionally i’m pretty good i think. physically i wish i could be closer to friends and family in NYC, Seattle area, TN/Atlanta, and Germany

17. Do you miss someone at the moment? the people referenced above. also missing my Grandmomma a lot lately and my mom. 

18. Tell us about an early childhood memory. art lessons with my grandmomma. her set of pastels that were all worn down and the heavy paper (black) that she pulled out to work on. she drew a quick portrait of a man, showing me how to create depth in skin tones with blue and green against the softer flesh tones. she didn’t blend it out, the marks all painterly and strong-- her style. i was 10, maybe? 12? so not *early* but it feels like forever ago. 

19. What is the strangest thing you have eaten? i have no idea? i’ve eaten a lot of weirdish cheeses. i’ve had geoduck? 

20. What are you most thankful for? the amazing friends i’ve gathered into my life along the way, my dad, and my baby dog. 

21. Do you like spicy food? yes, within reason (i don’t get stuff that’s spicy just for the heck of it, like ghost pepper chips or whatever? but when spice is integrated in with other flavors i love it)

22. Have you ever met someone famous? i used to make up stories about meeting famous people that were based on partial truths. i’ve hung out with or met a lot of gay famous people. but the biggest person who comes to mind is Sandra Bernhard. I sold her cheese.  23. Do you do you keep a diary or journal? i have over the years. now i sometimes write things down in a paper journal, but mostly go to a really old blogging site where i basically put all my big feelings down in a public but sorta private spot.  

24. Do you prefer to use a pen or a pencil? depends on my mood.

25. What is your star sign? taurus sun and moon, gemini rising

26. Do you like your cereal soggy or crunchy? in between...not HARD crunchy, but not soft soggy. 

27. What would you want your legacy to be? would like people to remember that i loved them well and made them feel good/happy when i was around them. and hopefully that it made them feel like being good to others too. 

28. Do you like reading, what was the last book you read? i do, but i’m mostly reading fic these days. i think the thing i read last was Pink Like the Paradise Found, which was FANTASTIC!

29. How do you show someone you love them? i tell them, shower them with physical affection, and do little things for them. also try to remember small details about what they enjoy and then do stuff to make them feel good when they’re down

30. Do you like ice in your drinks? yes, but not too much

31. What are you afraid of? sometimes being along but only when it’s very dark out and i’m in the sads. honestly-- this is some deep internalized ableism but here it is --i’m very afraid of never getting better and not being able to take care of myself or anyone else. 

32. What is your favourite scent? jasmine flowers, pu-er tea, the specific scents of people i love

33. Do you address older people by their name or surname? however they’re introduced i guess. maybe because i’m an older person lol

34. If money was not a factor, how would you live your life? i would live in the apartment i had alone (with a guest room). i would hire someone from my community to come help me out sometimes. i would get a weekly grocery delivery from the good quality place. i would have a dog walker. and i would fly home to see my family more than once a year and fly my family out for a visit sometimes. so like. probably the way a lot of ppl live? idk. 

35. Do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean? ocean

36. What would you do if you found £50 on the ground? get dinner at the thai restaurant down the street a couple times. 

37. Have you ever seen a shooting star? yes, lots! 

38. What is the one thing you would want to teach your children? i’m not having kids BUT for the kids in my life, i try to teach them/model the importance of consent and respect for their own bodies as well as other people’s. and i know it said one thing, but alongside that is that i respect and love them for who they are, and that’s something they get to decide. 

39. If you had to have a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it? i want a lot of tattoos, but if i could get one tomorrow it would be a cheese themed tattoo with a variety of cheese knives (parm tools, dutch style knife) and a small cheese assortment. or a portrait of my dog

40. What can you hear now? this kinda dumb netflix show that i decided to binge today even tho it’s only kinda meh and my dog snoring just a little. 

41. Where do you feel the safest? when i’m surrounded by friends. 

42. What is the one thing you want to overcome/conquer? my stupid money issues prolly

43. Of you could travel back to any era, what would it be? wanna go back to 1977 and live in the girl direction AU i wrote last year, lol.

44. What is your most used emoji? laugh crying emoji or sobbing maybe

45. Describe yourself using one word. colorful

46. What do you regret the most? not sure if this is a thing but i regret not realizing when i got bitten by a tick/got lyme disease the first time, bc maybe i could’ve just taken antibiotics and killed it, and then maybe i wouldn’t be sick? 

47. Last movie you saw? watched the new charlie’s angels the other night

48. Last tv show you watched? this dumb show is called sweet magnolias, and it’s. honestly not terrible! it’s just not my style of show. OH WAIT i take it back, they left it on a really shitty cliffhanger without warning, and that is the one way to make me drop your show/fic HARD unless i like. genuinely love you. so byeeee dumb show, hope you get cancelled

49. Invent a word and it’s meaning. saungry: sadness brought on by being hungry, like hangry except oops you’re crying now! example: “fuck i knew i should’ve eaten before calling my best friend, now i miss them and i’m too saungry to figure out what to eat! Guess I’ll have tears for dinner” (almost called it sungry, but the internet thinks that might just mean ‘so hungry’)

did you make it to the end? WOW! devotion. thank you. 

#about me #long post #text post #livejournal throwback

[ollifree]

👀 1, 5, 8, 11, and 13 for the four wardens gang pls. especially caedan. 👀👀👀

1. What is one word to shut them up?

Terron: I’ve been staring at this ask for days and I still can’t think of one for him. This question has haunted all my waking hours. I’m looking at the road but all I’m thinking about is what is the one word to shut Terron up.

Lanni: Failure. She knows she’s not infallible, and takes minor failures in stride. Used right, though, and the word reminds her of what she couldn’t protect and what she’s lost. What she might lose if something like the Highever massacre happens again.

Caedan: Kirkwall. It doesn’t even have to be said to him: the word grabs his attention and sinks ice into his heart. He tells people he’s from the Circle and he’s been there such a long part of his life it’s true; he doesn’t know a culture outside of it to identify with. The Wardens are probably the closest and he was only with them a few years. If pressed, he’ll go so far as to say he was born in the Free Marches. He doesn’t remember Kirkwall. He doesn’t want to remember Kirkwall.

Nasi: Worthless.
 It’s a long, hard climb for her to believe she’s more than a Duster. She has skill and knowledge to put any caste dwarf to shame, and once she’s named Paragon very few would be able to go against the ingrained rigidity of the class structure to even insinuate otherwise. “Worthless” though hits, literally, too close to home.

5. List 3 fears; one “surface level” fear, one “repressed” fear, and one “deep dark” fear.

Terron: Surface: Getting lost. In the Brecilian forest, it meant a spirit or the forest itself was changing the terrain. He could pop out in a familiar area in a few moments, hours, or days. Or, he might not pop out at all. It lessened the longer he spent in human settlements, but when he first started entering them after joining the Wardens he had no idea how to navigate them. Repressed: This is listed down in triggers below, but mirrors. After what happened to himself and Tamlen? He doesn’t trust them for a long time. And full-body ones? He won’t want to be around those ever again. Dark: The corruption taking him. He left his entire life behind when presented with the possibility of a cure. Finding out what he might eventually become at the end of his Calling? It was the single worst event of his life.

Lanni: Surface: Not fire, as one might expect, but definitely dragons. She actually has a bit of a delayed reaction to fire now because “it’s not that hot”. Has to be reminded that even if it doesn’t melt her flesh it’ll still give her burns. Quote-unquote-repressed: Everyone can tell just by looking at her if something reminds her of the attack on Highever. Seizes up and is both distracted and non-direct in her speech. A lot of on-going “uh-huh”s and generally only speaks when someone prompts her. Dark: More-so for her solo canon where she’s actually seen one, but broodmothers. More specifically, turning into one.

Caedan: Caedan’s are all nicely layered together like a cake (or an onion). The first layer is the Chantry deciding, no, being conscripted actually doesn’t count, back to the Circle with you. The next layer down is the safety of himself and his closest friends in the Circle. Sure, he and Surana got on fine because they were mentored by two relatively respected senior mages, but that didn’t mean nothing could happen to them. It just meant more questions would be raised if something did. And Maker knows what would happen if they got their hands on Jowan. This leads directly into the deep dark fears: what happens when they’re not safe in the Circle. Tranquility is, of course, the worst thing that can happen to a mage. Before they hit the rite, though, there’s dungeons, whatever a Templar who’s taken a physical fancy to a mage can do, and torture. Remember that Caedan doesn’t want to remember Kirkwall? That’s why he doesn’t want to remember Kirkwall.

Nasi: (Literally) surface: The sky?????? The fucking sky????? Why the fuck is anything allowed to be that big and empty?????? And stuff falls from it?????? Repressed: She fears circumstances that could lead to her losing respect: be it a plan falling through or her strength failing her. Now that she’s had it, she doesn’t want to go back knowing what it felt like. Dark: Stone, don’t let her be like her mother. Stone, don’t let her be like her mother. Stone, don’t let her...

8. Do they have anything that triggers them?

Terron: Mirrors. Smaller ones he can handle so long as he doesn’t see their reflective side. Larger ones, such as the ones on vanities or that hang in hallways, leave him uneasy. Eluvians or similar? No thank you. The end of Witch Hunt was...bad.

Lanni: All of Redcliffe was one giant trigger for her and she was one (1) mishap away from a full-blown PTSD attack while she was there. But, let’s not worry about the trauma she never addressed. She needs to know people are safe.

Caedan: He has an entire list of triggers thanks to the Chantry and the Circle. The biggest one is the “Magic exists to serve man” canticle of the Chant. The one most Chanters say outdoors loudly, for everyone to hear? That one. He’ll shut down entirely upon hearing it.

Nasi: Keep your drinks away from her; she doesn’t need the reminder of her home life. Physical touch isn’t a full-on trigger, but she is somewhat touch repulsed. If she doesn’t someone touch her without express permission, she pretty much trusts them with her life. Do not pick her up.

11. Do they have any vices?

Terron: Is Terron just emotionally mature? Is that what’s happening? Not a vice so much as a bad (from a non-Dalish viewpoint) habit of up and disappearing for a few days. Sometimes it’s for hunting, sometimes it’s because he needs to be out of a stone keep in a forest right-fucking-now.

Lanni: Workaholic. Of the “compelled to take on every task on her own” type. Look, Ferelden’s got to get back on its feet and she’s in the position to do the most to make sure that happens. Alienage needs rebuilt after the darkspawn attack? Show her where to do the heavy lifting. Going to scout southern Ferelden will take a few weeks? Well, they did promise the Dalish land there and she wants to make sure they won’t be cheated out of anything or put on a plot of uninhabitable land, there’s a few Chasind settlements there we should make sure conflicts won’t happen because we didn’t know that’s where their homes were. Oh yeah we promised soldiers for Orzammar someone should look for volunteers and make sure we’re sending more than two people. And while we’re doing that we’re going to be in talks with the Chantry about loosening the restrictions of mages. Yeah sure there’s time in the day for making sure the nobles aren’t about to oust us. Going into labor? There’s time for a few more documents. Gave birth two hours ago? Strap that baby to her chest we got more shit to review. Happened a second time? Of course it did. There’s the possibility of a cure out there? She’s checking into it. What the fuck is delegating?

Caedan: Bottoms up. His drink of choice is wine, he’s not one for the taste of beer or ale. His heaviest drinking is done during times of emotional crisis. He’s steered very close to alcoholism at a few points in his life, but his social circles have kept him from it. He’s grateful for it, and they know this, but he’s pissy about it since he doesn’t like having his actions reproached.

Nasi:
 Does bloodshed count? She doesn’t process her emotions, and prefers to deal with any feelings by finding the nearest darkspawn and hacking them into so many pieces even she doesn’t remember what kind they were before. This year’s fall fashion line in Orzammar is black blood stains.

13. Which of the 7 Deadly Sins best describes them?

Terron: Envy. For the kind of safety, standing, and knowledge that humans possess. Even non-Andrastians (ie. Avvar and Chasind) know their history. Most humans can travel without fear of harassment, or can expect justice should something befall one of them.
 His people don’t even know their own language.

Lanni: Greed. She could have lived in comfort and contentment as a Warden, though she’d have always joined in taking Highever back for her brother. Instead, she’s taking the queenship. Shouldn’t have called her bluff when she was trying to get you out of imprisonment, Anora.


Caedan: Pride. As if he wasn’t already enough of a smarmy bastard to begin with, he went and made an agreement with Mouse, a pride demon, when Avernus taught him blood magic. He knew he was one of the best mages in the tower, and being out in Thedas at large hasn’t changed that impression much. The one mage he’ll say is better than him? He built a life with her. And don’t even get him started on what a prodigy their son is.


Nasi: Wrath. A good chunk of the carta, and pretty much all of Dust Town, knew not to cross her path if she looked any more pissed than usual. She turns it into a real strength when Oghren teaches her berserker techniques. Bhelen knows he’s only got his throne so long as Rica’s happy and cared for.

#ask #greyvvardenfell #rey #dragon age #warden #oc things #terron mahariel #lani cousland #caedan amell #nasi brosca #long post / #this took up so much brain juice but god now i wanna do even more for 'em #i love my wardens so gd much

[zerot0all]

Underprivileged | M

.SEUNGHUN.

.

.

He watched you. Like he always does. Waiting , hoping ... anticipating the moments to come. The shine in his eyes wasn’t new , it never has been. Since you first met him, he’s had his eyes on you. And now, months later... his main attraction is still you.

“You keep denying me .. but I will get you. Sooner or later.” Seunghun flirts as he moves around the bar area getting your drink ready. He sent a cocky smile your way making you shy suddenly , that damn smile has haunted you , even in your dreams.

“Yeah, yeah. Make sure not to skip out on the rum playboy.” You reply back , catching some casual bar hopers by surprise. They all smiled or giggled, Seunghun grinned back to you, making you roll your eyes. He cocked his brow , amused by your words but most importantly, he was getting more out of you.

You see, Seunghun is a bar boy. His lifestyle is just that , the night life. And even though you’ve thought about maybe fucking around a few times , you couldn’t bring yourself to do it.

He’s gorgeous nonetheless, a thick body meant for exploring and lord knows what he has hiding behind those jeans. He’s a walking - talking sin and yet... like always, you couldn’t.

You wanted more ... but being the Governor’s daughter didn’t help you much in the love category. People were either fake with you, or scared of your last name. Whatever the excuse was ... you couldn’t trust anyone and you didn’t want too.

“Here you go, princess. On the house,” he smiled as he slides you your drink, casually winking causing you to giggle.

“No, I should pay.” You tried to bring your debit card out , only to have him push it back. But before you could begin to argue , he changed the subject.

“You could pay me back with some delicious rice cakes once I’m done with my shift. There’s a spot I love just down the block ... would mean a lot to me if you went with me.” He smiled widely, letting his charisma show. The offer was so perfect not to take and that dumb light headed feeling he gave you was back ... you couldn’t help but smile back at him. So... you agreed.

*

He was off at one am, so you said your farewells to your small group of friends to go wth this mystery of a bartender.

The walk to his rice cake spot was longer than ‘just down the block’.

And like a fool , you fell for it.

His favorite spot was his place. His apartment. His home. But feeling on cloud nine with him made you blind , till you were in his kitchen.

He stood by the stove, cooking a meal for you and himself . And by the rich scent taking over the space as you inhaled , your mouth salivated .. this man was a cook?

The conversations went as casual as ever. He asked about your life and your interest. You tried your best to give him subtle answers, straying away from the main fact that you were someone very important and if anyone caught a glimpse of your late night snack , the media would run his name through the mud.

The idea made you suddenly sick. He was being genuinely nice and caring. He gave a fuck about why you stopped going to your choir classes back in school. He wondered why no one has noticed your tiny birthmarked by your neck. He even noticed the way your smile leans more to one side , something you’ve known but never thought people noticed. You just though people didn’t last looking at you for far too long before getting ambushed by your bodyguards. Whatever the case was ... he was trying to be there for you. And after an amazing meal, the conversation took a turn.

“I can sit here and go on a long rant about how I’m not like those other guys. I could bring out a PowerPoint and specifically explain why i am amazing in all of my special traits ... I excel in some more than others , but that’s up for debate.” He joked, smirking at your confused state.

“But nothing is going to change the fact that I am not good enough for you .. no matter what I do. Huh?” His voice grew thick with concern as his eyes dropped to your hands. Your fingers fumbled with one another, thinking of what to say , or explain yourself as to why he is right, without saying the truth.

“Look, it’s not you...” you began but was shut down as he leaned over the table to cup your face, suddenly meeting your lips in a slow and tender kiss.

It all happened so quickly , you had no control for what your body and soul wanted. And maybe a slight hope.. that your heart wanted this too.

Moments later , the scene changed to his room. His bedsheets seemed chill against your heated body as you laid naked beneath him. His mattress, soft as ever. A cloud of pure bliss caressed your body, making way for his mouth which attached itself to every inch of your skin.

“You’re in control, Princess.” He groaned into your neck as his arm worked it’s way behind you, quickly lifting and switching positions. He landed beneath you as you sat on top, slowly sinking down on his erect length, soft sighs and gasps took over the dark room. The only light was coming from the window , the moon watching as the sinning began.

Your hips bucked the harder he groaned ,meeting his thrust beautifully. You rode him as much as you could, prolonging your climax till later on, but the more his skilled hands massaged your sensitive skin, you couldn’t help but need more. Begging him to mark you, to hurt you. You praised him just as he praised you.. moments came and went with his eyes rolling back in pure ecstasy.

“Keep doing that ... fuck, you feel so good.” He moaned loudly as your small hands found his nipples. But as you played with them, something else caught your attention. One of your hands slowly made its way to his neck, as you began to grind down on him , he was able to send his free hand towards your swollen clit.

“Do it... do whatever you want, princess. I’m yours,” his voice sounded strained and the sudden vein that appeared by his neck made your idea even more enticing. Putting both your hands on his neck, you began to put a little pressure making him grunt. But as you went back to bounce on his cock, his fingers strummed your nub. You both matched eachother on pressure. The more you tightened your grasp on his throat , the more he flicked your overly sensitive button.

You nearly screamed your release, Seunghun finishing next. The spasms of your cunt , milked his cock completely. He threw his head back the moment it started to become a bit painful, but as you continued to ride out your climax, the simple idea of having him beneath you in that state excited you.

Moments passed and you laid in bed next to him. Eyes heavy of weariness, and body still buzzing. You couldn’t help it .. you fell asleep in his arms. Not worrying about the consequences... not giving a fuck about anyone else but you and him.

*

The morning strolled by sooner than anticipated, your eyes fluttered open, clearing the fog from your mind made you realize you were alone in bed. You glanced around to find a t shirt and some shorts at the end of the bed, which were placed there. For you?

Exiting his room you’re able to see him stepping out from his kitchen. A coffee in hand and behind him, breakfast on the table. You stood shocked. Unable to move or comprehend what was going on or why?

He placed a kiss on your forehead and guided you toward the kitchen table. You sat, absentmindedly and enjoyed your breakfast. Weirdly enough ... you felt comfortable. It felt like you two have known eachother for years and maybe , just maybe , the real you wouldn’t scare him?

“Now that we’ve got past that stage of our relationship, let’s talk about how you’re using a fake ID at my bar.” He cocks his brow, sitting back in his chair , eyeing you intensely.

“R-Relationship? W-What no... wait, how did you know it’s fake?” You stutter wanting to argue but you couldn’t get past the fact that he called it a relationship? Is he insane ? And the fake ID ... how could he possibly know , you paid good coin for a real ‘fake’ ID which gave you the liberty to go out like a human and not feel like you’re under a microscope for others amusement.

“Look Princess, you might be privileged but that doesn’t make me an idiot. I went to school too, not the best one and yeah, I don’t own a multi million dollar company , but my bar is up to par with some of the best places in town. Yet, that’s not what we’re talking about.”

You gulped down your toast , wondering how long he’s known about you.

“You’re political royalty, but you always end up in my bar. Out of all the expensive , lavish spots you could go too... yet you chose mine , over and over.” He finished , grinning from ear to ear.

You couldn’t speak, even though he was right , you couldn’t bring yourself to admit it.

“I knew it ... you most definitely have a crush on me.” He goes to stand , laughing to himself as he pours more coffee into his mug. Like he was pleased with what he’s brought to light. And instead of arguing , like what you would most likely do, you agreed. After so much denying it ... what more could you do?

“I love being right . Anyways, for our next date I’ll take you out for real this time. I promise.”

———————

[MS]

#cix smut #cix seunghun #cix fanfic #cix one shots #cix imagines #cix scenarios #cix fanfiction #cix seunghun smut #cix drabbles #cix kpop

[wolfewritings]

My Cyberpunk 2077 Hot Takes (Spoilers for first 5ish hours of gameplay)

It was “in development” for 8 years, delayed multiple times in the final release year, and is still so poorly optimized, buggy, janky, and so obviously not fully tested on release that it is so unplayable on consoles that both Sony and Microsoft are offering refunds on digital copies regardless of hours played. And on PC you could have built and updated a desktop just to play only Cyperpunk on as high a setting as possible and you still would have to turn of features to get everything to load in properly. The game needs a full year delay working a standard 40 hour week to be even playable, and that's accounting for the features available as of Dec. 11th 2020 aka launch features. They forced the devs to work 100 hour work weeks just to launch a game that's technically playable in the loosest sense of the phrase.

TLDR: The game in-general needs to be redesigned like the RPG it was initially marketed as instead of a different flavor of near-future Ubi-sandbox. It also should totally embrace the full depth of customization cyberpunk as a genre and transhumanism as an ideology allows and envisions. And bugfixed and optimized, like seriously. There’s also almost no reason for anything to be as remotely bad as it is, if I’m remembering correctly the only “pressure” they had was from “fans” and that’s because they thought Gamers(tm) would be sensible and not send fucking death threats because they thought they had a release date.

This might be a GOG only gripe (or cpu) but that makes it even worse if it is: patching takes literal hours to complete no matter how small the patch is. The only game that might take longer to patch is Baldur’s Gate 3 which is a whole separate fuck-fest but atleast that is early access.

It has less gameplay options than vanilla Skyrim, just in general and in specifics.

Melee combat is clunky as hell and not satisfying.

I think driving is bad, and vehicle combat is god awful with almost no onscreen indicators if your hitting enemies or even correctly aimed at them.

The lifepath opener sucks. It literally ends with a montage of scenes and interactions that should have been playable and greatly added to the dynamic of Jackie and V. It also would have helped established literally every part of gameplay without requiring a literal in-game diegetic tutorial to break the flow of a scene leading into the 2018 gameplay teaser. It also so far only affects dialogue options, no ability increases, no skill increases or passive experience buffs. It doesn’t even effect how V speaks, just what they know prior to meeting Jackie.

Character creation is meh at best. Unless you choose the more techy looking eyes that change everything about the eye, the iris color barely appears to change. Pronouns being tied to voice is a very weird choice, especially when the choices are literally just male or female. Available hair styles are alot right off the bat, especially since you have to remember which numbers you like with no option to preview or change later in anyway aside from apparently forced hair styles hard designed with various head gear, especially apparent on femme V where they grow and fully style their hair on contact with ball caps etc. Tattoo options are generic “nothing or your skin is over 30% tattoos” no pure back or pure limb tattoos. Facial cybernetics are serviceable but there should have also been an option for purely cosmetic body cybernetics. Facial hair is both meh and almost too indepth at the same time. Visually bland but also having too much to customize and compare with each beard selection having seemingly 3 barely different versions and mustaches having essentially every type aside from pencil (i think, i didnt care too much to look at all of them).

In-combat weapon selection is clunky. The lower right icons for unarmed is the exact same as if you were wielding a gun. The only way to know for sure you have only fists is to use the weapon selection wheel and try to get the cursor to show you hovering unarmed even if you have weapons in 2 out of 3 slots. And im fairly certain having no weapon in the first slot breaks hotkey selecting weapons. There have been several times where I pressed 1 to only use fists and it kept my katana or gun out despite them clearly being in the 2 and 3 slots respectively.

Hacking is weird as you need direct line of sight and the game to register you’re actually looking at what you want to hack, meaning you can’t really stealth hack in enclosed areas without almost guaranteeing you’ll be spotted.

Randomized loot doesn’t really make sense, especially when the randomized tier determines if you can install components like scopes, silencers, etc.

Thats all I can remember off of the top of my head as of initial writing.

Now for some praise, but still with some complaints and ideas for improvements.

Gender and sex being separate is a great idea but could have been implemented alot better. Pronouns should have been an actual choice between he/him, she/her, and they/them. In my opinion, voice options should have also been expanded to include masc/fem or masc/fem/”yeah thats a generic ‘X’ voice” for both male-voiced and female-voiced V. Genital selection being both “which do you have?” and “do you go commando?” is just questionable. It should have been genital type as one selection and default underwear as another (maybe some people want schlonged V to wear panties and vagina’d  V to wear men’s boxers or tighty-whities). I personally find the nipple and pubic hair customization almost too much for almost no reason especially since there is no practical way to even be naked to be funny without being one-shot because you have literally zero armor aside from maybe shoes, hats, and face covers.

Tattoos should be broken down into subcategories like limbs (divided into the different parts of each limb/full limb), torso (chest, stomach/full), back (shoulders, mid, lower/full), hands/feet (maybe including fingers/toes) with an extra option to mirror limbs and hands to streamline creation time if the player wants.

Hair should also be broken down between pre-styled, and customizable pieces like top, sides, and back. Hair style should also have custom gradients or full palette selection.

The nail paints were a nice surprise, but again would have been better with color customization (I managed to settle on the one that looked kinda like the demisexual flag, which was nice surprise).

Lifepath selection should have some effect outside of just the occasional dialogue option (so far only on the main story path). At the very least it should offer bonuses to atleast one associated ability (like Nomad offering a +1 to tech and associated skills gaining bonus experience). At the far end it should affect what words or slight accent uses during dialogue and maybe have some NPCs know which lifepath you chose based on that.

Melee combat needs to feel more impactful. From what Ive used so far (katana and fists) the katana barely has any reaction from enemies unless you trigger the passive bleeding skill and fists barely register outside of heavy attacks and guard breaking. Dare I say, Dead fucking Island has more impactful melee combat (probably because it wasn’t seemingly designed as an after-thought outside of skills).

Make it so that once you’ve marked a target you can hack it through walls so you can actually be somewhat stealthy or atleast give you an advantage before combat.

Make the overworld hub-based (like in the 2010s Deus Ex games) but still the same size so that its (theoretically) easier to load while also getting the same amount of detail or even more. 

Add seemingly basic things in open world action-adventure games like toggle walking, keybinding, and maybe more than less than a handful of quick-select slots.

Make sure the game actually runs as it ideally should on the platforms you sell it on. Like that really should be step fucking two after can you launch it without causing a fire.

Enemies (and predetermined killable NPCs) should have set gear that is dropped and gear should have set designs for if they can be customized or just sold for money. Iconic gear should probably be better than just “ ’X’ weapon but named”.

#cyberpunk 2077 #hot take #rpg #video games #holy shit did they drop the ball #Gamers(tm) need to get all their asses kicked since they obviously don't have empathy

[fictional-scenarios]

May I request a continuation of the last Aizawa one where the reader is a villain? It would be cool to see how they clean up their act and how their relationship starts. Thanks for your hard work on everyone's requests. :D

something even more new 

pairing: aizawa shouta // reader

a/n: since this is kind of a broad request im do headcanons that turn into a scenario :3 enjoy!!!!

part one!

warnings: none!

Since your last encounter with the hero EraserHead, you really are sure that you left that scene a changed person. The day after you told yourself that the call had been too close, that he really was planning on turning you in. He would have if you hadn’t caved and begged, dropping your cocky and playful attitude. You had to plead with him just for a final chance and fuck if you weren’t going to make it count. Not that you had much of a choice, afterall. If you got into trouble again you doubt he’d let it ever slide again.

A week later you finally take the first step in bettering yourself. You ghost whatever little friends you have who you’re sure would work to turn you back. You burn your suit, throw away and crush the stolen items you’ve accumulated over the years. It’s hard as hell even if you were never the most sentimental person in the world. Once your room looked nearly barren, you let out a deep sigh and flopped onto your bed, one of the only items you bought yourself with your own money upon moving into the city. Without all the mementos of your past staring you in the face, you finally feel like you might be able to breathe a little bit better.

The next step you take is finding a proper job. While you wished you would have sold all your stolen goods when you got rid of them, you knew it was better this way. You weren’t a crook anymore, and non-crooks got money the same way of everyone else does. You apply at whatever cafe you can, fill out the resumes and stealthily throw in that you’re a very ‘flexible’ person who can work many different jobs at once. Quick on your feet, easy to get along with. Of course no one knows just where your accumulated experience is from, but you’re sure you can come up with something on the spot. You’ve always been good with your words, after all.

Luckily you get an interview from a local cafe just a few blocks away from your tiny home. It’s very lax from the looks of it, mostly focusing on coffees but also bears a nice section of books and comics. Easy enough, but already you can tell it’s going to be boring compared to your old job. You get the job on the spot, the elderly owner more than happy to introduce a new member to the team. They’re all mostly older but there’s a few people your age, all of which are oddly suspicious that they’ve never met you before. You tell them something that isn’t entirely a lie: you never really got acquainted with anyone. Kept to yourself, spent most of your time working. Of course they took it without batting an eye and welcomed you to the cafe with open arms.

Working a position so mundane was one of the harder parts of ‘getting better’. You were always a person who’d love to get thrilled, lived life on the edge, so spending your time serving frappes and selling brownies didn’t really make you feel like you were getting the excitement you so craved. Every now and then you would have fun with your coworkers or you would spark up a conversation with a customer over a book they were buying, but you still found yourself daydreaming now and then about your old pastimes.

More specific, you would daydream about your old interactions. Eraserhead, namely. You missed taunting him, bounding roof to roof with him on your tale. It was always a game of cat and mouse and you enjoyed every single moment. You hadn’t seen or heard from him since then, but perhaps that was for the best. He likely wouldn’t even recognize you anymore. You certainly wouldn’t.

About a month into your new found life, you started feel yourself longing to slip back down that hill. Little things here and there, the urge to take some money from the register or snag a watch off a customers wrist. You were always confident in your skills and despite the break you were sure you could pull off your stunts just as easily as you always had been. At one point it the urge gets to bad that you almost cave. A customer leaves his wallet on the floor right by the exit and it would be so, so easy to just take it. You can see him outside the window typing on his phone, completely unaware. With no one looking, you take a deep breath, slink to the door, and pick it up. It’s heavy in your hand, the man surely has a lot of money stored away. You could steal it. Slip away and take it somewhere it would never be found. No one would suspect you- people lose wallets on the streets all the time. It would help you pay your bills now that you aren’t making nearly as much…

As you bite your lip, you make a choice that seals the deal.

“Sir!” You hollar, pushing the door open. The man stops typing, looks up at you like you’re insane. The closer you come the more he can see what you’re holding, and soon enough he’s patting his back pocket with wide eyes.

“O-Oh!” He gapes as you hand it back to him. “I had no idea…!”

“Hah, yeah. Woulda sucked to leave without your wallet.” You rub the back of your head sheepishly. “I’m just glad I caught you in time.”

“Thanks so much, this really means a lot.” He eyes you for a moment. “Y’know I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here save for working at the cafe. Live nearby?”

You shift your weight. “U-Uh yeah. Just moved here recently so I haven’t really…”

“Moved in yet?”

Despite having lived in the area for years, you nod. “Yeah. My place is like, empty, hah.”

Not a lie, but not a truth either. The man seems to bite, smiling warmly at you and saying, “Well, see you around. Thanks again, it’s nice to know we’ve got good hearted people like you in the city. We could always use the extra kindness.”

You sputter, “Have a great day, sir!”

When he nods, you turn your back on him almost a little too quickly. Heart in your throat, sweaty hands, for some reason that was one of the only things you’ve ever done that have shaken you. You’ve never been a friendly face, let alone someone considered ‘kind’. The mans words for some reason resonated within you, made you feel a strange sense of appreciation that you’d never really experienced before. Though unsure if it felt good or bad, it was definitely new.

As you step back inside the cafe, you’re stopped by a voice.

“Wow. So you really have taken a new wing.”

Instantly you’re searching everywhere, only to stop at a figure crouched atop the archway leading into your workplace. Wearing all black as always, hair messy and falling around his face, Aizawa perches and watches you from above. He’s just as scruffy as you remembered, but not nearly as annoyed. He doesn’t look as troubled as he always does when he’s chasing you through the city.

“Eraserhead.” You place a hand on your hips and flash him a cocky grin. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

It’s a line you’ve said time and time again. He scoffs, and for just a moment, it feels like old times. He narrows his eyes at you, and this would be the moment you’d start running, but this time you don’t. For once you have no reason to. He leaps down and sizes you up, eyeing the nametag and the flour covered apron you wore.

“Never guessed you’d apply here of all places.”

“What, I can’t like coffee?”

He shrugs loosely. “Didn’t say that. Just not used to seeing you looking like a normal person.”

“Wow, thanks.” You deadpan. “This was the first place that called back, and I’ll take whatever I can get.”

Aizawa shoves his hands in his pockets and shifts his weight. “So you’re suddenly just an all new person?”

“I mean, I guess. I’m trying to be.” Looking away, you sigh. “It’s harder than I thought it would be.”

“You seem like you’re doing fine.”

“Yeah. Better than I thought I would be but…”

“You miss it.” Aizawa finishes for you. “Or it’s a habit.”

“Both.” You give an empty laugh, and he grunts. Flashing him a cheeky grin, you know you don’t nearly have as much confidence than you would if he busted you mid plan. If anything, you’re sure you look more nervous than anything else. “But hey, we had a lot of fun, didn’t we?”

The way he rolls his eyes makes you laugh again. “You were a pain in my ass.”

“Yet you always let me go.”

A pause worms it’s way between the two of you. You stare at him, he stares right back, tired eyes still watching as if he’s trying to decide your next move. Perhaps he doesn’t really believe you’ve changed, or maybe he just isn’t sure how to interact with you beyond an energetic chase. You break the silence before he can, reaching out and taking the door to pll it open. Without making eye contact, oddly docile, you say, “I’m taking my lunch, if you want to sit with me for a bit.”

Aizawa is quiet, but then he shrugs, follows you inside. You leave finding a seat to him as you walk behind the counter and clock out, hollering to your coworkers in the back that you’re taking a lunch while it’s slow. Taking a seat across the table from Aizawa, you bring both you and him cups of water. Strangely he speaks first, the moment you sit down.

“Do you like it here?”

It catches you off guard, but you nod regardless. “It’s fine. Boring, but fine. Keep’s me out of trouble.”

“Good.” He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. “I’d hate to have to turn you in after all this hard work.”

“What can I say? You scared me straight. You’d make a good security guard, you’ve got the scary eyes.”

“Thanks.” He grunts, and you flash an insolent grin.

“Anytime.”

His eyes follow the menu along the back wall as he speaks again, mumbling, “I thought you were going to skip town.”

“I thought about it but…”

His eyes flicker to you. “But what.”

“But I guess I realized running wasn’t really… An option anymore.”

“I’m surprised.”

“Why’s that?”

“Seemed like running was your favorite part.”

“It was,” You brighten. “Until you were actually going to turn me in. Suddenly it wasn’t as much fun anymore.”

Aizawa picks up his drink and takes a sip, huffing a laugh as he brings it to his lips. “Now look at you. Serving coffee with a smile.”

“Well that depends on the customer.”

“Mm. New life but the same attitude.”

“I mean I can’t change everything.” You tease. “Gotta keep some part of my identity. Plus,” You lean forward on your elbows, eyes devious as they always used to be. “You love my attitude.”

He almost chokes on his drink, and you let your head fall with laughter. This is what you missed, even if it wasn’t the same anymore.

“Not funny.” He grunts once he’s caught his breath, and you try to stifle your remaining giggles.

“Very funny. Hilarious, even.”

“Don’t forget I still have the power to turn you in.”

It’s an empty threat, you know it is. You poke the bear anyways, just as you always had.

“Me? Break a law? Eraserhead you should know me better than that. I’m just a simple person making some coffee and selling some books. I’ve never even so much as looked at a villain a day in my life.”

“Yeah, yeah. Such an innocent, law-abiding pedestrian.”

“Yep, that’s me!” You point at yourself with your thumb. “Model citizen right here.”

Aizawa scoffs, but it’s the first time you’ve ever heard him do so without the bite. Without the venom, the irritation.

“Good,” He says. “Keep it that way.”

You hum in amusement. “No promises.”

“You better. Don’t make me have to do checkups just to keep your ass out of prison.”

Your brows raise. “So now you’re trying to keep me out of prison?”

“If you ever paid any attention you’d realize that that’s what I’ve been doing since the first time I caught you red handed.”

Whatever cockiness you had before was punctured, your eyes widening for a moment. “Seriously?”

“You were such a pain all the damn time. It would have been much easier to just let the authorities handle you but,” He sighs and looks into his drink absentmindedly. “I saw potential.”

“Potential…? What kind of potential?” He lets his eyes wander around the cafe, the cheery signs, then he lets his eyes fall back to you. He stares at your nametag, and you frown. “You saw potential in me being some simpleton waitress at a cafe?”

“Being a good person. And by the looks of it, I was right.”

“You can’t prove that.” You cross your arms defiantly, eyebrows raising.

“You gave that man his wallet back when you could have easily snatched it for your own.” Aizawa’s eyes are on yours, and you slump your head down to your shoulders. Damn him for always getting you in the end, one or the other.

That strange sense of appreciation bubbles within you again. This time you cope with it differently, and you realize that it doesn’t feel bad. 

“Shut up.” You grumble. “But… Thanks.”

“For?”

You shrug. “For seeing the potential, I guess.”

Leaning back in his seat, he sighs out. “Yeah. Don’t make me regret it.”

Despite knowing you’ve got nothing against him, you can’t help but give him a toothy grin. “No promises.”

“Don’t make me check in with you.”

“What if I do?”

“Then I’d have to keep tabs. Make sure you’re on the right path.”

“So you’ll visit me?”

“If I have to.”

“Here?”

He eyes you for a moment, catches the glint of excitement in your words. Although you’d never expect it, the corners of his lips upturn just enough to soften his expression.

“Once a week.”

“Only once?” You hum. “That leaves six other days to get in trouble…”

“Twice, then.”

“I dunno….”

“Three times. Take it or leave it.”

“Well how can I say no when you’re just so eager?”

“Could you at least try to hide your excitement?”

You giggle. “I knew you liked me.”

“Alright, that’s it.” He starts to get up and you leap, reaching out to grab his wrist.

“Wait, I’m only joking!” As he starts to sit back down, you smile. “Three days a week. Right here.”

“Three. Only three.”

You look down at your drink before flicking your eyes right back to him. “Never more?”

“Don’t push it.” He mumbles, and you realize you’ll take whatever he’ll give. Three days is a blessing.

“____!” Your attention is suddenly yanked away, and you see your coworker standing at the register. He’s one of your newer friends, someone you felt oddly close to despite your naturally high walls.

“What’s up?” You ask.

“Are you done with your date? You’ve got five more minutes.”

You gawk. “O-Oh! This isn’t-“

“Hey, no judging!” He cuts you off when you flush. “But seriously. Don’t clock in late or boss will have a fit. He’s a cool guy but he hates late-punchers.”

Aizawa sighs and stands, and immediately you’re flooded with disappointment. For the first time you’d been having fun with him, conversing. No chasing, no fighting or one liners, just… A nice conversation.

“I have to be leaving, anyways.” He says, and your face falls. He rolls his eyes. “Are you gonna start crying?”

“Maybe. I’m a bit softie now, remember?”

“Softie my ass.” He grunts as you stand up. You follow him to the door and as he pulls it open, that same disappointment only gets heavier. Regardless, you grin at him when he steps outside and turns back to look at you in the opening. “Bye.”

You go to say goodbye, but then it hits you. “Wait!” You call, and when he turns, you say, “I don’t even know your name. Just Eraserhead.”

Aizawa slumps his shoulders. “Aizawa.”

“Alright then, Aizawa,” The way his name feels in your mouth is… Nice. “I’ll see you in exactly… 2 days from now!”

“Yeah. Think you can make it?”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Good.”

He turns his back on you once more, and you let the door shut. Albeit still upset at the loss of him leaving, you can’t help but feel excitement building up in your stomach. Three days a week you’d have coffee with him. Just coffee, but it still made you light up in a way you hadn’t felt before.

As you clock in, your co worker pesters you about Aizawa, and you find it hard to not get even more excited talking about him. How you were going to make it two days you had no idea, but finally you were happy with the choices you’d made. Whatever urges you had before were gone, demolished.

This was going to be good for you, you could feel it it in your bones.

#aizawa shouta #something new #part twoooooooooo #im excited for this tbh #i hope yall like it! #bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #headcanons #scenario #imagine #fanfic

[faean]

Bakugou Katsuki x G. Neutral Reader

Rating: T+; Language and Mild Sexual Content

Word Length: 2,513

Title: Confessions, Not Explosions

           A soft beep echoed throughout your bedroom, drawing you from your light slumber. It came from your phone, resting on the nightstand beside you. Sluggishly lifting yourself from the plush comfort of the bed, you reach over to your phone, curious about who could be texting you so early in the morning.

           It was none other than Bakugou Katsuki, the man and pro hero with whom you are having a date with later that evening. In his signature fashion, he had wished you a ‘good morning’ and reminded you that he will be picking you up in the evening; although he neglected to give a specific time. Until his next text arrived, stating you should dress in ‘formal wear’ and that he will arrive at six. 

           He was certainly getting better at keeping his temper under control, but he did slip into a few swears now and again; evident by how he mentioned you looked ‘abso-fucking-lutely gorgeous’ in your crimson wear, embroidered silver with a matching neck piece. To be fair, you think he likes it because it matches his eyes, or because it was specially made to hug your body while still being flexible (there was an accident with a villain attack during a party in which they got away due to it being too restraining).

           Pushing yourself out of bed, you head down stairs to the kitchen to prepare a small breakfast. You’ve plenty of time to get ready, and, if need be, you can just use your quirk to show up at the restaurant; well, you think you’re going to a restaurant, but with Bakugou, you could very well end up raiding a hideout. Ah, well. You’ve known him for years, and the least you can expect is something eventful.

           Most of the morning was occupied by your normal routine: Training with your quirk; exercising; partaking in some creative hobbies; reading. It was interrupted by the occasional text from your date, mostly compliments in the classic style of Bakugou. It was flattering, but you had a small bit of dread in the pit of your stomach.

           You have faced down monsters and villains. You were present during the villain attack on U.A., you witnessed the fight between All Might and All for One, you even traveled across the world, acting as support for other heroes and being a guest at numerous academies. But the thought of going on a date with one of the best heroes, whom you’ve been enamored with since you first met him at U.A. when you were both students, terrified you.

           The two of you were fair foils; he was competitive, aggressive, and rude, while you were compromising, passive, and had a joking nature. Most people thought the two of you were worst enemies, but when it got out that Bakugou had a crush on you, you were unable to accept it. He was a skilled fighter and had such a determined soul (and he has only become greater) that you thought you’d never be good enough for him. But after years of excuses and lingering glances, he finally caught you off guard, and you decided it wouldn’t hurt for a single date.

           Of course, as the evening drew near, your mind began to race to how the night may unfold; soon you were torn between a sensual ending in bed with the man who made off with your heart, or the date being interrupted by an attack and your life coming to an end.

           With a chuckle and a sigh, you headed towards the bathroom to clean up and get dressed for your date. Although, whilst washing yourself, your phone went off (again), and it was a call from Bakugou. Fortunately, it was to inform you that he was taking you to your favorite restaurant in the whole city. Unfortunately, he heard the running water and made a comment of how he would enjoy sharing a relaxing bath with you after a long day of hero work. Thanking him for taking you out and checking up on you, you ended the call to finish getting ready. However, after his comment, you grew hyper aware of how empty the bath felt.

           It was finally six, and a knock came from the door on the hour. Flattening out any creases in your clothing on the short walk to the door, you took a deep breath to steady your nerves. It wasn’t enough to prepare you for the sight of Bakugou.

           He looked, for the lack of a better word, beautiful. His suit and tie mirrored you, with a silky silver base, and velvety red tie and embroidery. You always thought he looked handsome, but now, in that suit, he looked divine. Quite literally, too. And he noticed it right away; then again, you were shamelessly gawking and may have (you did) audibly moaned (it didn’t help that it accentuated some certain… areas, that you were already fond of staring at).

           With a proud smile, Bakugou teased, “Like what you see?”

           Not willing to be outdone, you gained a small bit of confidence and gave him a quick peck on the check and sauntered off to his car, calling over your shoulder “I’d probably like you more after a delicious meal and a glass of wine!”

           Unbeknownst to you, as you made your way to the car, Bakugou was holding a soft gaze with your figure, a warm smile on his lips and one thought going through his mind- Thank you.

           It was a relatively short drive, but that didn’t stop Bakugou from resting his hand on your thigh during the entire drive. At first, you were worried about him not driving properly (after all, you were both heroes), but it became relaxing. Until another driver cut him off and he began… mumbling? It was still a string of swears and he did flip off the other driver, but… honestly, seeing him restrain himself was endearing (and kinda hot).

           After a few more minutes, you arrived at the restaurant. Attempting to be gentlemanly, Bakugou opened your door (after “slyly” closing it the few inches you had opened it), took your arm in his, and led you inside. You wore a sweet smile and were actually feeling at ease at the thought of finally going on a date (with Bakugou, of course, but it was your first date in general, too). It was certain to go well.

           You and Bakugou were walking down the streets of Musutafu, having finished your dinner date and wanting to visit the park. To break the silence between you both, you decided to give your thoughts on the date.

           “I had a wondrous time, Bakugou, I certainly should have accepted sooner.”

           “Dumbass, you can call me Bakugou. And hell yeah, you should’ve accepted sooner!” he barked, before realizing it sounded harsh and corrected himself. “Err… I really do appreciate you finally going on a date with me, but… why did it take you so damn long?”

           A small blush dusted your cheeks as you muttered, “I thought I wouldn’t be good enough for you…”

           Katsuki stopped dead in his tracks, and you turned to face him, worried you said something wrong. He was just staring, dumbfounded, with his crimson eyes wide, unable to comprehend what you just said. It took a few moments, but he finally managed to speak, and he spoke deliberately, trying not to swear too much.

           “(Y/N), I didn’t mean to-” He was cut off by the sound of screams as a villain attack was in progress nearby.

           With a heavy sigh, you trudged off towards the screams. Naturally, you wanted to help whoever was in danger and capture the villain, but both you and Katsuki were not to be patrolling today, and were on a date, and he was just about to reveal something to you. However, getting into the mindset you needed for hero work, you and Katsuki took off.

           Fortunately, it was just a minor robbery. Unfortunately, the robbers were well equipped and prepared for a scuffle. It wasn’t too much of a fight, though, as the two you were a remarkable team (once again, despite what people would think) and were amongst the top heroes in Japan. But, when they nicked Katsuki and ripped his suit, your earlier worry of the night ending with blood kicked in. Making use of the versatility of your quick you charged in haphazardly, ignoring most anything to take out the remaining robbers.

           Once you settled down, and the police arrived, you noticed how many rips and tears your outfit sported; it was actually quite revealing. Without so much as a word, Katsuki casually slung you over his shoulder and traversed back to the car. Your pouting and wriggling was immediately stopped when he spanked you on the walk, your face matching the color of your outfit.

           After placing you gently in the passenger seat, Katsuki began the drive back to your house. The drive was silent, but you caught him glancing at you occasionally, lingering on the parts of your outfit where skin was showing; which was a lot.

           By the time you were standing in your doorframe, you were uncertain about what to do. Should you invite him in? Do you give him a goodnight’s kiss? What was it that he was going to tell you? So many questions began to arise that you didn’t notice when he pulled you into a tight hug.

           Leaning into his warmth, you felt comforted, and your heart raced when he quietly whispered into your ear. “(Y/N), I wanted to tell you… You were never not good enough for me. You were smart and caring and such an amazing fighter that… dammit. I was already an asshole to everyone, and I just couldn’t figure out how to make you like me; I ended up fucking everything up. I’m… I’m sorry.”

           You couldn’t bring yourself to look into his eyes, as yours were beginning to prick with tears. Settling for resting your chin on his shoulder, you let out a long, contented sigh.

           “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we, Katsuki? Ah… If only we weren’t such a mess back in class, we probably would’ve been on a number of dates, and maybe even better heroes.” Turning to give him a soft kiss, you melted in his touch and the luxurious feeling of his lips on yours. Pulling away, you leant your foreheads together, a smile painting your face as you breathed “I think I prefer your lips over the cake at the restaurant.”

           For the first time that night, you saw him actually blush, and his hands started to produce a few sparks (which only happens when he is overcome with an emotion). He averted his gaze and just grumbled that ‘we should probably go inside.’ Realizing that, not only were the two of you still outside, you were essentially half-naked. Fumbling to get your keys and open the door, you stepped inside, closely followed by Katsuki.

           However, before you could do more than close the door, Katsuki pulled you to him, holding you close as he led you to your room (which felt odd). When the two of you got to the room, he helped you change out of your ruined clothing and into some sweats and a tee. It was a tad embarrassing, as it was the first time anyone has ever seen you in your underclothing since you were at U.A. Although, to make you feel better, he stripped, too, and donned some old sweats you had around. But, one, you were blushing madly at how much of his muscular body you could stare at; and two, the sweats were a bit thin and tight, and fit him more like leggings (you silently cursed and/or blessed yourself for being leaner and more toned rather than muscular).

           Once you two were changed, you moved to bed, and Katsuki wrapped his arms around you, drawing you into a warm embrace. For you, you had never felt more comfortable. Nuzzling into his chest, your legs tangling with his, you sighed softly, grateful for how everything has gone today. Until he spoke.

           “You know, (Y/N), you looked pretty damn hot when you were fighting off those thugs. Especially when that tight outfit of yours was ripped and revealed all that lovely toned skin. I wanted to mark you and make you mine.”

           Rolling yourself on top of him, chin on his chest as you looked up into his eyes, you responded rather bluntly, expertly hiding your urge to giggle. “Katsuki, I swear to whatever god will take pity on you, if you try to get into my pants on the first date, I will not hesitate to beat your ass and surpass your hero status.”

           Meeting your gaze, Katsuki held the stare, only for you to drop it first as he had sneaked his hands to your ass and groped you. Meeting his forwardness once again, you held yourself up, palms on either side of his face as you leaned in close.

           “Bakugou Katsuki, did you really think I’d succumb to your whims so easily? You haven’t even asked me to be your partner, yet you’re already acting as though we’ve been married for several years.”

           Flashing a toothy smile, he pulled you down into a deep kiss and slipped his tongue in, dancing along with yours as you pressed your body against his.

           Breaking away from the kiss, Katsuki gave a quick peck on your lips before nuzzling into your neck, mumbling “I wouldn’t mind if we got married…”

           That caught you off guard. Sitting back and straddling his waist, you pulled him up after you, so you now sat in his lap. Mustering your strength, you took a deep breath before responding. “I truly do you love you, Katsuki; even if you can be abrasive. And, I’ll admit… I may have entertained that idea.”

           You wore a toothy grin, but soon feared what your words may have summoned as Katsuki’s eyes had a mischievous gleam and his lips were turned up into a cocky smile. “Katsuki, whatever you’re thinking-”

           “Aww, but (Y/N), I want to know what other ideas you ‘entertained.’ Did you ever think of how our honeymoon would go? Or how the night would end?”

           “Katsuki, continue these questions and I can assure you, you will not survive long enough for us to have a honeymoon.”

           “Does that mean you’re asking me to marry you?”

           Letting out a small chuckle, you sighed as you leaned into him, arms around his neck. “I walked into that, didn’t I?”

           Falling back onto the bed, dragging you with him, Katsuki nuzzled into your cheek, placing a few soft kisses along you jaw and down your neck. “I didn’t hear a no…”

           Snuggling closer into his embrace, you mumble your answer into his chest as you begin to drift off into a deep sleep. The last thing you feel is Katsuki placing a kiss atop your head, his heart beating steadily, and his arms around you.

#katsuki bakugou #kacchan #bnha #mha #gender neutral reader #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha bakugou #enjoy you heathens

[rnisa]

Yo! So overall, given how these two look they're nooot exactly picky with appearances. The both of them value personality and loyalty, above all else. However, they DO have some physical preferences. I feel them both bisexual, so I've written them as such. All of these bullets are created with that in mind, even if one *seems* too specific (Like the makeup one might seem more feminine , but boys can wear makeup too) so don't assume I'm excluding one or the other and such. If there's anything that in my mind, is in fact gender-restricted, I will say so. But other than that please assume they're meant for everyone! Sorry if this doesn't make any sense, but I just wanted that to be clear for everyone to enjoy (:

As usual, I think I went sort of off-topic...just let me know if anything needs fixing;

Junkrat

Appearance:

Junkrat prefers people from average to taller heights. It's just more convenient and comfortable for him. No matter if you are on the taller side for your age and gender, you're still going to be shorter than him.

Long, wavy hair. Likes it out or braided if you're a woman, or tied up in a ponytail or bun if you're a man. Color is irrelevant, But secretly more into those on the black-dirty blonde scale.

ADORES freckles. Especially if you've got a lot, in a way that your body's covered with them.

Despite having tattoos himself, he'd like a partner that has few, or none at all.

Big titties. He's got a very long and lank body, and with how he's hunched over, he'll "accidentally" shove his face into his partners chest.

Likes to feel his partners muscles. Not saying you gotta be jacked or toned; it doesn't matter whether he can or can't see them. He just likes to feel them.

Enjoys a partner that wears makeup. Not every day, all the time, but at least once in a while. If you've got good makeup skills, he might ask you to do his makeup too. Wax his eyebrows.

Contrary to himself, likes a clean partner that practices good self-care. It helps to remind HIM that he should be doing better, so you'll be an important source for motivation. Clean hair, exfoliated skin, moisturizing, brushed teeth, and dressed nicely. Even comfortable casual outfits can be fashionable - he's just not fond of someone who would dress like a slob (hypocritical, yes. But having a cleaner partner, or even crush, would make Junkrat want to better himself. Being with someone just as filthy as he is wouldn't help either of you, as you'd only enable each other.)

Personality

Saying what he doesn't like would be arguably faster than what he does like, but I'll do both. Overall, he likes someone who will challenge him. If you're too passive, submissive, or just don't have any voice of your own, you won't interest him.

Likes someone who's headstrong and confident. Everyone all goes through those times where their self-esteem took a blow, but if you're perpetually seeking reassurance or have no faith in yourself, he won't be attracted to you. He likes someone who acts like they're the shit - even if they're not. I'm not talking about narcissism, I'm talking about someone who's just comfortable, and at peace with themselves. Like, whatever flaws you've got, yeah, you acknowledge. You're not perfect, but that's not stopping you from being content with who you are.

He will appreciate a partner with their own things that set them apart as an individual. He can get competitive, and likes to be surprised, especially if you've happened to one-up him. He'll be proud that you, his love, surpassed him - and that'll only make him try harder next time.

This is odd, and he wouldn't outright admit it, but... he's attracted to those who are perceived as high-maitenence, or diva-like. If you sort of ignore him at first (not to be mean, maybe you just avoid him cause his ass stank?) that'll make him more attracted to you. So eehhhh, if you have a crush on him first (God rest your soul..) and you approach him, if he doesn't know you as a FRIEND then he won't have that initial attraction (i.e., if he's not into you off the bat, befriend him first rather than asking him for a date as an acquaintance. Even if you DO meet each and every one of his physically attractive needs, it'll be difficult.)

Adding on to the above bullet, he likes the chase. Likes to work for someone. He feels like you'll be more valuable in the long run. The way he sees it is, if you're worth it, he'll wait. He'll chase you and not give up (unless you seriously tell him to fuck off and get a restraining order) because he wants to show you he means business.

Plus he's got a bit of trust issues. Headcanon that he's had others use him in the past (and he fell for it, each any every time) lie to him, pretend they love him, so he would steal them expensive things. In all these cases, those people approached him - which is why he prefers it the other way around.

Likes someone with a good moral compass. If he's planning on stealing some shit, go "Hey that's bad" and he'll get a boner appreciate you. Deep down, I believe that he does not want to be known as a "Junker" forever that he does not want to continue on heists, forever. Like with the appearance cleanliness I mentioned before, he wants a partner that he could just look to and go...hey, I want to be a better person for them.

Actions

Snorting while you giggle (bonus if your laugh is mad ugly)

Scrunching your face when you’re focused

Giving him a nasty look when he does something weird

Throwing off his shitty puns by giving a legitimate answer/debunking it

Roadhog

Appearance

Ass man. Thick thighs save lives. Mako likes them child-bearin' hips. He is very squishy himself, and leans towards those who are in the same boat. Whether you've got a little bit of chub, or a lot, Roadhog can't help but find it cute.

No hair color preference, but likes long, free-flowing hair on girls and men. Likes to run his fingers through their locks, trying styles (like braiding) as stress relievers, and such.

A bit of a size kink, so he has a preference to shorter partners - your width is irrelevant though.

Very attracted to plump bodies, especially belonging to those who are physically strong. Obviously, it’s unlikely that you’ll match him in strength, but he still enjoys it! <3

Mako finds glasses to be VERY sexy...so if you’ve ever felt self-conscious about your foureyes, just know that your boo Roadie will love’em. If he finds that you take them off during sex, he might request that you put them on, every now and then.

Has no preference for how you dress/style, but he does appreciate a partner that is able to express their personality through their clothing. If you’re shy and fit to societal norms/wear what everyone else is wearing (not because you like it, but because you’re afraid) it’s kind of a turn off. He, like Junkrat, loves someone who is confident in not only their own skin, but their clothing, too.

Piercings drive him wild. Any piercings. Even if it’s just your ears..though he wouldn’t object if you had any more. Surprise him by having a piercing (or a few) on your private areas and...he’ll likely be so flustered! Depending on your personality, he’d either be shocked and impressed, or he might have already figured you had that particular piercing. Hehe,

Personality

Independence is key. You two do not need to be breathing the same air in every waking millisecond of your relationship! He is introverted, and while he always enjoys his time with you by his side...he loves his alone time just as well. Don’t be up his ass (figuratively) all the time, and he won’t be up yours (figuratively). Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that, applies to him. You can’t get offended if he requests alone time; it will only stress him out, and he does not like drama. It’s nothing personal, he’s just so accustomed to the isolation that when with company for too long, he can get easily burnt out. I like to think of Mako more akin to a cat, whereas Junkrat a dog.

Assertiveness. You don’t need to be rude, but he does find it attractive when someone stands their ground. Likely impressed with those who handle problems in a civil manner!

Educated. Especially if it shows through your vocabulary. Prefers deep conversations on real-world topics more than smalltalk. He loves listening to you to begin with, but if you can propose a conversation with which he can really engage him, you’ll probably get him talking, too! For a man who’s normally quiet, you might release some hidden passion depending on the topics you choose to bring up.

Prefers a partner that can think for the future. He’s lost most of his hope in life, the future, etc... Having someone that will make plans with him (ex., “I can’t wait to do this with you someday!”, “We should go on a trip to Numbani in the future!”, “When we get married, do you think we should do it by the beach or indoors?”) gives him something to look forward to. That kind of phrasing also ensures him that you’re serious about him, and don’t plan on leaving soon.

Actions

Tilting your head like a puppy when you’re confused.

Having a smile that you’re trying to fight, but can’t.

Looking away when you’re embarrassed.

Hearing a question of concern from you (“Are you okay?”, “Is everything alright?”)

Quick moments where you touch (accidentally brushing against him, your hands accidentally touching)

Trying to lift something that’s really heavy by yourself, until he comes to try and help you.

#junkrat x reader #roadhog x reader #headcanons #overwatch x reader #imagines #imagine #overwatch headcanons #overwatch imagines #jamison fawkes #mako rutledge #reader insert #self insert

[itsweetiepie-blog]

BakuDeku: Roommates

Chapter One: Part 1/?

Bakugou trudged off of the bus, Kirishima and Kaminari trailing close behind the male.

For once, Katsuki was actually excited about spending a prolonged period of time around his classmates - if only for his quirk’s sake. This training camp was supposed to make him stronger, and he would do anything to achieve that goal; anyone who stood in his way could die for all he cared. He was going to become the number one hero, no matter what.

Now for the first major hurdle: Aizawa was assigning roommates. Bakugou prayed to god that he wouldn’t get a shitty one - he didn’t want to be stuck with someone like Mineta for a good portion of two weeks.

Listening carefully for his name to be called, he was grateful when Mineta got assigned to someone else, though to who? Bakugou didn’t really care enough about the extras to find out.

“And for the boys.. Bakugou and Midoriya will be a pair. Your room is number 236.”

Bakugou’s jaw practically hit the floor as his fists clenched, explosions cracking dangerously in his palms.

I’m paired with Deku?! Even Mineta was better than this!

He could vaguely feel Kirishima patting him on the back and telling him to calm down... why was fate so cruel?

Once everyone had been assigned to their separate rooms, Mr. Aizawa showed a surprising amount of uncharacteristic kindness.

“I’ll give you all half an hour to settle in. I recommend you rest, because after this, it’ll be hell.” Their teacher said in a rough voice before turning towards the administrative cabin.

Bakugou scoffed. This sucked - he was hoping to have at least the day to stay away from his roommate before he was forced to spend time with him. Did god hate him?

Why can’t we just get to the fucking good stuff? I don’t need any shitty rest. What’s a half an hour going to do anyways?

Bakugou huffed in annoyance, picking up his duffel bag and trudging down the halls.

236.. 236.. there it is.

Approaching the room, he unlocked it with his set of keys, opening the door to find that the little broccoli was nowhere to be found. Ignoring the small tinge of worry, he instead focused on the main problem.

There was only one fucking bed!

Everyone left towards their assigned rooms, even Bakugou had left which left Midoriya alone by himself standing there. He was slightly scared to leave towards his room. Bakugou had such an awful temper and also disliked him so much. He thought it was best to stay away for now.

Izuku found himself wandering around the camp to give his roommate time settle in first, and to overcome the fact he would be sharing a room with someone he basically hated.

I’m not that bad! Kacchan’s just a bit stubborn and doesn’t see that I’m only trying my hardest to impress him.

There wasn’t much Midoriya could do anymore. He needed to rest before he dived head first into training tomorrow.

Midoriya managed to make it back towards the room and found the room he would be sharing with Bakugou. He took out his key to unlock the door, but it was already unlocked, so he placed the key back into his pocket and opened the door to see the ash haired male. He looked around the room. Something was missing, but what was it?

Midoriya gulped. There was only one bed and two of them. They would either end up both sleeping on the same bed, (which he doubted) or one gets the bed and the other would have to get the floor.

Honestly, Midoriya already knew he would probably end up sleeping on the floor. It probably wasn’t that uncomfortable and he would most likely survive sleeping on the floor for two weeks.

The greenette entered the room, placing his luggage in the corner of the room, away from Bakugou’s to avoid conflict. He shut the door behind him and remained quiet for a few minutes.

Come on! Say something to him!

“Uhm... I’m sure camp will be fun, right? You know... All of us working on strengthening our quirks!” Midoriya grinned nervously.

“`Tch. I guess, yeah. I’m still gonna beat everyone’s asses though.” Bakugou was surprisingly docile, instead turning his attention to the situation before them.

They could figure this out now, or they could wait until they were tired and sweaty, which meant they would have to take extra time to argue instead of just passing out like Bakugou assumed they would want to. So option A it is, then.

“You’re sleeping on the floor, got it?” He grunted before flopping on the bed, kicking one of the thin, extra sheets and a pillow onto the floor.

Bakugou tried to not feel guilty about forcing the cute littl—

...about forcing Deku to sleep on the cold, uncomfortable floor. Katsuki knew he was the best, so he obviously needed the best place to sleep, right?

Bakugou huffed as a timer on his phone went off, alerting him that his half an hour was up and that he should start heading to the designated meeting area.

“Come on you fucking nerd, we gotta go.” And then Katsuki was walking out the door, but surprisingly enough, he slowed down just a tad so that the green haired boy could walk with him.

Midoriya laughed lightly and nodded to show that he understood he would end up being on the floor. Just as he expected, he would end up on the floor. He wasn’t too surprised by this. He took his thin sheet and folded it up and placed it beside the pillow.

“Alright, Kacchan! I’m coming!” Midoriya chimed as he grabbed his key from his pocket and locked their bedroom door, then quickly caught up with Bakugou.

After several moments of silence the greenette decided to stir up a conversation to break the awkward tension between them. “What do you think they have planned? Maybe some one on one combat?” Midoriya punched the air a few times, imitating a fighting sequence. “Oh! Or maybe group work!” The smaller male beamed with joy at the talk of training.

“Why the fuck would I know, nerd?” Bakugou scoffed, but he lacked his usual resentment.

Upon seeing Kirishima and Kaminari, he stepped away from his roommate in favor of walking with his friends.

When the class arrived at the training area, they were more than surprised. Expecting to have to fight, they had no idea what the random gadgets and things were for. Yes, there were some open spaces - probably for safe quirk use - but most of the area had some strange training objects set up.

Before anyone in the class could question, Eraserhead opened his mouth to explain, almost as if he was predicting what they were wondering.

“This training camp is specifically designed to strengthen your quirks - not your skills. So, unless it’s the only way your quirk can strengthen, many of you aren’t going to be doing much fighting.” Mr. Aizawa paused a moment, before continuing on, this time directing people to their pre-assigned work areas.

Bakugou, taking note that Midoriya ended up throwing punches at Kirishima, stood in front of his barrel. It was nothing special - literally just a barrel full of ice water. His instructions were to put his hands inside and try to create explosions for as long as possible.

This’ll be easy, all I have to do is beat the time limit.

Smirking, Bakugou plunged his hands into the water... though when an hour had passed, and his explosions had steadily gotten weaker, he realized that there wasn’t a time limit. Shit.

As training went on, everyone thought it was gonna be easy. Further into the day the training became harder and longer, and way too tiring. Both Kirishima and Midoriya were getting exhausted from fighting. It had only been an hour or so, and there wasn’t a time limit. How long will this go in for?

Upon hours of fighting, it became dark and the students were finally able to stop their exhausting training. Midoriya’s muscles hurt like hell and there wasn’t much he could do about stopping the pain.

Izuku was practically dragging himself back towards his room he would be sharing. He wanted nothing more to lay on the comfortable bed, but that wasn’t going to happen. He had the hard, cold, uncomfortable floor to lay on.

He sighed and dug into his pockets and pulled out his key. He unlocked the door and entered inside. Midoriya kicked off his shoes and flopped himself down onto a chair in the room. Still respecting the fact that the bed was Bakugou’s and not his.

Bakugou trudged towards his shared room, his hands hidden deep inside his pant pockets. For once, he wasn’t walking back with anyone - he was too exhausted, mentally and physically, to hold up a conversation that consisted of more than a couple grunted words.

After taking his keys out to unlock the door, Bakugou flinched as the cool metal knob came in contact with his palms. They were burnt and blistered, raw from over using his quirk.

Bakugou thought he was lucky that they had been emerged in ice water for more than a good half of the day - if not for the cold, his injuries probably would’ve swelled up by now.

Focusing on ignoring the stinging in his palms, Bakugou pushed the door open.

He acknowledged the dreary Deku in their chair with an unintelligible grunt before carelessly throwing off his shirt, not bothering to check where it landed. His pants followed close behind, and, steadily clad in his boxers, Bakugou climbed into the double bed, sprawling out with a grateful groan.

The explosive blonde closed his eyes, feeling his heavy limbs sinking into the mattress as he was called to sleep. Hopefully, it would come soon - at least it was quiet.

After several minutes of just sitting there in the chair, Midoriya began to nod off. It wasn’t until the loud air conditioning turned on that he woke up. The teachers must of turned it on due to a complaint of it being too hot or something.

The young boy took this time to finally move and get settled in his so called bed.

He sighed and glanced to see that Bakugou’s shirt and pants were on the floor. He must have taken them off when he entered the room and Midoriya just didn’t notice.

He followed by taking off his own and grabbing comfortable clothes to sleep in from his suitcase. Some sweat pants and a plain T-Shirt. After dressing himself, he grabbed the thin sheet and pillow and spread it out on the uncomfortable floor.

Midoriya flicked off the light in the room and laid down on the floor. It was so uncomfortable, but he was just going to have to deal with it for two weeks.

Several moments passed of Midoriya tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable on the floor. He eventually ended up just laying the still trying to sleep. It wasn’t until the air condition took an effect on him and made him cold. The boy began to shiver and curl up in his thin sheet. His teeth chattered.

Bakugou had already kicked off all of his blankets, and now that the A.C. was on, he finally felt that he was at a comfortable temperature. Now, he could sleep again, more comfortably this time.

Bakugou tried, but some annoying noise kept him up. The fuck was that?

Glancing around to find the source of the chattering, he saw Deku, curled up on the floor, his thin blanket doing nothing to protect him from the A.C.

Bakugou glowered. The chattering showed no signs of stopping. Why couldn’t he just get a nice rest?

“Oi, shitnerd, could you stop being so noisy? I’m tryna sleep `ere.” Bakugou said, his voice rough and deep from sleep.

Upon frantic apologies that were warped with clacking, Bakugou sighed. “If you’re so fucking cold, get up `ere. Now let me sleep, you fuck.”

Bakugou shifted slightly from his sprawled out position to make room for the nerd, shoving the unneeded blankets over to that side.

If Bakugou wasn’t delirious from lack of sleep, he probably wouldn’t of been this kind - thank the lords he was tired.

Izuku’s eyes widened a bit when he heard Bakugou say he could join him up on the bed. His cheeks became a bright red at just the thought of sharing a bed with him. He quickly gathered his pillow and sheets and laid on the bed beside Bakugou.

“T-Thank you, Kacchan...” He whispered in between chatting teeth. Midoriya climbed up into the bed, laying beside the blonde. He pulled the blankets over his small body to warm himself. After a few minutes the chattering teeth stopped, and Midoriya was finally warm.

Silence fell between the two of them and the only sound that could be heard was the air conditioner. Deku closed his eyes and allowed himself to finally fall asleep. After a long day that he had. He would need this sleep.

Throughout the night Midoriya sometimes turned over and changed his sleeping position, but remained still most of his night. At some point in the night he had rolled over and moved close up against Katsuki. Of course he didn’t realize he had, because he was sleeping, but he was sure if he was awake he would have freaked out and apologized nonstop until the words were foreign to him.

He laid there cuddled up into Bakugou’s side. The warmth that radiated off of him felt so nice and relaxing. Izuku was mistaking Bakugou’s warm body as a warm teddy bear in his sleep as he slept.

Unknowingly, his arm had wrapped around Bakugou’s waist, while the other rested on his chest. His head was no long laying on his pillow either, but was in fact resting upon Bakugou’s shoulder.

Bakugou, who had always been rather cuddly in his unconscious state but hated to admit it, had unknowingly wrapped an arm around Izuku, burying his nose in the green fluff.

If Bakugou had been awake, he probably would’ve blown something up in embarrassment and anger, which usually dominated all his strong negative emotions.

Yet since he was sleeping, he just shifted onto his side, allowing Deku’s head to bury in his chest, an arm around the greenette and a leg stretched out between the smaller boys own.

They spent their night like that, entwined and peaceful.

The next morning, Bakugou was still sleeping soundly, the boys in the same position as before.

Though Bakugou was a deep sleeper, his hands were sore and had rubbed against the sheets, and now that he was closer to the surface, the small irritation was enough to pull him from his slumber.

Blinking open dreary eyes, Bakugou was aware of a figure in his arms and a tickling on his nose. Pulling his head back just slightly, his jaw practically dropped.

His head had been buried in the thing’s hair, an arm draped over it’s muscular form. His leg was slipped between the figure’s own, the two of them so closely entwined that the thing’s head was pressed comfortably into his chest.

As the fog of sleep left his head, he realized that this soft thing was not, in fact, a body pillow of some sorts. It was his roommate. It was Deku.

Small explosions popped in his hands as Bakugou’s face turned bright red, but he quickly shut them off with a wince of pain, some burns getting worse in the process of his anger and sending streaks of pain shooting down his arms.

Bakugou was about to move away from Midoriya, but he stopped right before he could. The boy looked so peaceful in his arms, and Bakugou was comfortable.

The decision he made definitely had nothing to do with the tingling feeling emanating deep from his chest, leaving him feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Bakugou tried to push the thought that the boy below him was looking really cute away. He didn’t feel that way to anyone, especially not Izuku Midoriya.

So why wouldn’t that fluffy, warm feeling go away?

#bakudeku #bnha #my hero academia #katsuki bakugou #midoriya izuku #bnha fanfiction #fluffy fanfiction #angsty fanfic #will contain smut #gay #yaoi #kastudeku #fanfic #fanficiton #fandom

[hydratedlife]

Love Yourself: Her - BTS Album Review

Disclaimer: I’m not a music expert, I just write for fun. This is all opinion based. I would love to know your thoughts/opinions on this album! Did you love it, hate it and what songs specifically?

Intro: Serendipity: Nice to see them do something a little different than usual for the intro. It’s very smooth and romantic. The song sounds perfectly written for Jimin’s voice, so soft and pretty and I love that he’s able to portray his emotions so well through his vocal delivery. I’m generally not a fan of Jimin’s vocal technique, but in this song his strong points are highlighted so well that it’s just all around an enjoyable listen that makes me smile. The video also fits perfectly with the song. 

DNA: Not my favourite title track from BTS but I still enjoyed it especially on its own. The video had a lot going on which made it difficult for me to truly listen to the song to decide if I liked it. I loved V’s opening verse where they finally let him sing in his natural baritone voice. Praise the lord!! The song begins with a funky acoustic guitar rhythm and whistling over a beat and built up effortlessly into a dubstep drop. I usually don’t like dubstep but I don’t think they overdid it and the transitions set me up so it wasn’t a shock to my ears. Mixing the dubstep with Jungkook’s vocals also made it an easier listen rather than just straight up electronics. Into the bridge and again with V’s deep voice, which just melts in your ears. I’m always impressed with BTS’ harmonising and they did not fail with the final build up that is topped off with Jimin’s high pitched voice. I liked that the final chorus didn’t go on too long otherwise the dubstep would have been overdone, but like I said they didn’t do that and ended on a much more tasteful note. Overall, DNA is not very innovative but it still makes for a catchy, dance-inducing listen. Personally, I think this song will work best during their live performances.

Best of Me: Probably my least favourite track on the album. I really don’t like very radio-friendly EDM. But it was what I was expecting when I heard The Chainsmokers were producing it (and I really don’t like their music). Though I’m surprised I actually didn’t hate this. I really liked the slowed down pre-chorus with the “haru haru”. Then came the drop, which was surprisingly not annoying and if you enjoy EDM you’ll probably really like it. Although, I was not a big fan of the rapping in the second verse and the bridge simply because I don’t think it really fit well in the song. I thought it could have thrived alone with the vocal line but I wouldn’t expect that of BTS. One thing I hate about “radio EDM” is that it’s annoying and repetitive. But throughout Best of Me they add new elements with the vocals through each chorus so it doesn’t feel like your listening to the same thing for 4 minutes straight. So yeah, if you like this kind of music you’ll probably really like this song, but to me it wasn’t very interesting.

보조개(Dimples): One of my favourite tracks on this album. Also quite EDM and only featured the vocal line, which like I said earlier fits best with these kind of songs. The verses cruise nicely but it’s the chorus that truly makes this song great. Its just so catchy with the fluctuating “oOoOoO” thing they do with their voice (lmao I don’t know how to explain that). One thing I love about BTS’ vocal line is that their voices blend so well together and this song was no exception. Each line sung by a different member flawlessly transitioned into the next to where you almost don’t notice who’s singing. In contrast, the bridge showcased the beauty in each of their voices as individuals and Jin really impressed me the most. His lines were so smoothly delivered and it really makes me see what some BTS songs are missing out on with his lack of lines (but that’s a different conversation). Jungkook belts a high note which is the first I’ve heard him do to this extent and he executed it with ease (maybe with the help of some autotune). I liked the mix of adlibs and high notes in the last chorus which is also very rare in BTS songs.

Pied Piper: This song has a great continuous beat that I find myself snapping my neck to despite it overall not being very upbeat. Jin once again shows off his vocals in the first pre-chorus, and mixed with V it just sounds so pleasing. The chorus is sung in a higher register and it actually works quite well and is really catchy. There seems to be a bit of Daft Punk influence that I notice here and I love it! The rap sections were unexpected after the sultry singing in the beginning of the verses but were delivered seamlessly to no one’s surprise. When I first listened to this, I had not yet read the lyrics and was expecting it to be a sad love song but was surprised to find out it was about their fans. They’re saying that they know the effect they have on ARMY and just want their fans to let them in. It becomes quite funny and sweet when you discover the real meaning of the song.

Skit: Billboard Music Awards Speech: Not much to say here, but it’s nice to see them so proud of this huge achievement. They haven’t included a skit in one of their albums for a while so it was nice to include that little break in the middle. I feel this skit helps portray the emotions they have for this album and fits well with the theme of ‘Love Yourself’.

MIC Drop: Now this is the BTS we haven’t heard from in a while. Those saying they miss the old BTS, this one’s for you! The dirty, hard hitting beat was something I was not expecting but I was so happy when I heard it. J-hope opened the song with his quiet low rapping where Suga then took over with a similar style performed just the way you would suppose he would (which is dope). This transitioned into a very autotuned pre-chorus and chorus which fit well with the style and typical of their other rap-heavy songs in the past. The chorus is good but was pretty basic and didn’t stand out, which may have been their intention because it didn’t stray any attention from the rap verses which is easily BTS’ strongest area. I wish Rap Monster didn’t use so much autotune for his verse as his voice is so compelling on its own. The bridge slowed right down and had an epic sound to it which gave for a very cool ending. As for the lyrics, they’re bragging about their achievements and looking down on their haters in a less than humble way (and I would say rightfully so).

고민보다 Go: Easily my favourite track on this album and one of my favourites from them in a long time. It has a reggae style but fits in a grimy beat underneath. My favourite part is the flute mixed in that reminds me of a video game soundtrack (very similar to Saria’s Song from Zelda), although it wasn’t constant through the entire song which stopped it from becoming boring and repetitive, which can easily happen with samples. There’s a back and forth between the singing and rapping with both having quite a comical raspiness to the vocals. It provided a great juxtaposition with the catchy chorus that had low and lazy vocals with a cool but slow melody. The breakdown into straight up reggae gave us a raw instrumental to groove to and really pushed the song to its greatness. Then the mix with the fast beat built up hype that I could imagine being a lot of fun at their live concerts. They end things off with the lone flute which was really the cherry on top of a great song for me.

Outro: Her: This reminds me a lot of some of their older music too, slow but upbeat with a romantic feel. It showcased their rap skills in contrast to MIC Drop. The song is smooth with a chorus that cruises along. I could imagine listening to this in the car on a road trip. It’s a very simple song with not too much going on which is very reminiscent to a lot of their older romantic songs. It makes for a great outro and ends the album leaving you chill and satisfied.

Overall: I fucking love this album. Is it my favourite BTS album? No (HYYH pt. 2 still holds that position), but it’s pretty solid with a great mix of old and new sounds that show how they’re growing as artists. It’s just really fun and includes a bunch of cool and catchy songs that I will certainly bop to. It’s definitely very pop with a few added elements but I think it fits well into what kpop is today and what it’s becoming.

#i had fun writing this #if youre interested give it a quick read #music review #album review #bts #bangtan #bangtan boys #love yourself: her #DNA #jungkook #jimin #taehyung #j-hope #hoseok #hobi #suga #yoongi #rap monster #namjoon #rap mon #jin #seokjin #music #album #kpop #boy group #mine

[scribefindegil]

Cycle Eight--Week 1

[Ao3]

The bright blue leather of the book's cover has faded over time, and the silver metalwork has tarnished, but the ink inside is still crisp and clear.

A (condensed, if I'm being honest) version of Lucretia's journal from Cycle Eight.

Day 1

For the first time, we spend the night of our arrival still airborne.

Lup is eager to explore the land below us, a world covered in vast glowing forests of fungi. Even now, when the single sun is on the far side of the planet, it glows as though it were daytime (At least, if daytime were characterized by an ever-shifting pattern of neon hues). The air is filled with clouds of spores which diffuse the light, concealing the edges of individual mushrooms so the entire world looks like a great ocean of light.

Tomorrow we head for one of the dark spots we can make out on the horizon in search of a clear landing ground. Captain Davenport has ordered that no one is to leave the ship until we can verify that the environment is inhabitable. Thus far, we have had the good fortune to only visit worlds on which we can walk and breathe, but there is no guarantee that every set of Planes will be so hospitable.

Magnus offered to go down to the surface by himself. “It’s the quickest way to see if we can survive!” he said.

Taako scoffed. “Oh, right, check it out by dying, that’s a brilliant idea. Idiot.”

“Yeah, Maggie,” said Lup. “You only just got back! Is the company really that bad?”

He didn’t push the matter, but offered to man the helm for part of the night so Captain Davenport could get some sleep.

We’ve seen no signs of inhabitants so far. Perhaps there are none, or perhaps they’re just hidden by the lights and the wide caps of the mushrooms. My lenses are of limited use from this distance.

The world appears to be of medium size, similar to that of Cycle 4 and to our home. It has only one sun and no moons. Our course is high enough that despite the light from below and the dense clouds we’ve been passing through it is easy to make out the unfamiliar stars that fill the sky.

(The next page spread is taken up by a painstakingly drawn star map, with notations on brightness and hue. Later annotations have been made in lighter ink connecting certain stars into constellations: The Mask, the Spider, the Pipes, the Bear.)

Three hours into his watch, Magnus called out and pointed to the forest below. I caught the briefest glimpse of what had startled him—movement, as if there was a creature passing through the mushrooms. Neither of us got a good enough look to describe what we saw, but it would appear that the life on this world is not, after all, limited to the vegetal.

Day 2

Throughout the night and the early hours of the morning we continued to make out shambling figures moving through the forests below, though we haven’t been able to identify them. Lup offered to burn a path through the mushrooms so we could have a better view, but she was overruled.

In the afternoon we finally discovered a settlement. It was easy to make out from a distance—one of the only dark patches in the glowing forest. The village is small and circular, with low, squat buildings clustered in the center. The outskirts are guarded by bonfires—dozens of them in three staggered rings—and the earth inside the village is charred. The inhabitants are in a constant battle against the encroaching forest, and fire is the only weapon they have. I suspect that Lup will get along well with them.

When we landed at the edge of the village, the inhabitants ran out from their dwellings to meet us. There was barely room for the Starblaster to touch down between the buildings and the flames, but Captain Davenport has always been a deft hand at the controls and only becomes more skilled the longer we spend on this mission.

At first we were unsure what race these citizens are. They are small in stature, no taller than Davenport or Merle, and are clad in long garments made of a heavy, dark material. But their most notable feature is the masks they wear. Everyone has some type of face covering, although there appears to be no standard type. I saw some with fine white veils wrapped around their heads and faces, revealing only their eyes. Others wear large masks with bulging glass eyes and long protrusions in the front like a bird’s beak. Still others have masks that seem to be made of the same material as their clothes sewn into a bulbous shape that covers their mouths and noses.

When the ship first landed, some of the people raised weapons—long tubes attached to packs that rest on their shoulders—but when we emerged they lowered them immediately. For a moment they stared at us, their eyes wide above their masks.

“Hail and well met!” said Merle, waving at them.

There was a brief shuffling as they spoke among themselves, and then one of them stepped forward. They wore one of the beaked masks and were short even by the standards of their companions. When they spoke, their voice was deep and strangely resonant—perhaps by nature, perhaps due to the acoustics of the mask.

“Where did you . . . come from?” they said.

After seven years on seven different worlds, we’ve become used to questions like these, and everyone knows that explaining our situation requires a certain delicacy of phrasing. So, of course, Taako said, “We came from fucking space, my man!” and then high-fived his sister.

“. . . Not a man, but okay,” the speaker muttered. Then they seemed to pull themselves together and said, “Listen, you’re in grave danger. We’re sheltered here . . . a little. As much as . . . Listen, you need masks or you’re all going to die.”

Perhaps not the most positive welcome we’ve received, but honestly not the worst either. We stepped down into their village and let them fit us with masks as they explained that the spores produced by the mushroom forest are deadly poisonous if inhaled. The constant bonfires around the village provide something of a buffer, but not enough to protect them completely.

The person who originally spoke, a dwarf who introduced themself as Mico, invited us into their dwelling for a meal and to learn more about us. We accepted, though we soon found that the building was too small for all of us to enter. I had hoped that I could at least remain at the door and record the conversation but Captain Davenport insisted that would be impolite. While Merle and Davenport went inside, the villagers built us a sort of crude tent out of the same white material they used for their veils.

They are all both curious and shy. They haven’t asked many questions yet, but they stare at us openly, especially Magnus. He’s as big as three of them put together.

Davenport and Merle returned and let us know that this village is known as Fungston and we are welcome to stay as long as we like provided we help with protecting the town. The mushroom forest is always advancing, and it has been as long as any of them can remember, although there are stories of a time before the mushrooms came. I hope I have the chance to record some of them.

There are other villages like theirs scattered around, the closest a ten days’ march through the forest, but as far as the people of Fungston know there are no elves or humans left on this world. None except us.

Day 3

Magnus and Davenport have spent the day on the Starblaster, in hope that they will be able to track the Light of Creation as it falls. It has given the rest of us the opportunity to explore the village.

(The rest of the page is taken up with a map detailing the locations of the two dozen buildings that make up the village of Fungston)

They have a regular pattern to the day. When they wake up, everyone checks the inside of their own buildings and then the common areas for any mushrooms that have sprung up overnight. It they find any, they burn them and the ground around where they sprouted with the flame cannons that are their primary form of weaponry.

Then they breakfast, usually in their own small family groups. There are one or two buildings covered in extra layers of the veil fabric that are devoted to the growth of herbs for cooking and medicine, but their primary diet is insects and the non-luminous mushrooms that grow on the floor of the forest. Boiling neutralizes the effects of the spores, but it still feels like tempting fate. Food is a necessity, not a pleasure, although from the meaningful glances that Taako and Lup share over mealtimes I suspect the village may have some cooking lessons in store if we remain here for any length of time.

Most of the villagers spend the day working on the incredibly fine white fabric which, along with fire, is their primary protection from the spores. The weave is finer than any cloth from home. Air can pass through it, but nothing else. Barry is fascinated by it and had taken some samples to study.

Their secret is the colony of fist-sized spiders that live in the forest directly outside of town. It would be wrong to call these creatures domesticated, but they are farmed. The villagers provide them with food and then use a large spindle powered by magic to gather their silk for weaving. Nearly everyone has a loom in their home, but they will sometimes take them outside and sit together under an awning at the center of the village, working steadily with only the clicks of their shuttles and the sound of the everpresent rain disturbing the silence.

Those who do not weave or have their own specific duties tend to the bonfires, making sure they continue to burn high. They are fueled by dried sections from the stems of mushrooms and by the oil well which caused the early villagers to settle in this place.

A little before sunset they prepare the main meal of the day. Even when eating, they wear spider-silk veils over their mouths, and usually use the opportunity to check that their masks are in good repair.

As night falls, the scorch teams head out to the North and South, burning the forest back as far as they can before their flame cannons run dry. It is only when they return, with no spores for several hundred feet around, that anyone dares to take off their masks. Still, this is something that is done only within their homes. Seeing another person’s face is considered a moment of rare intimacy. They barely know how to react to knowing what the seven of us look like.

I thought at first that it was just their shyness, but these people are exhausted. Every night they send out scorch teams to burn as many mushrooms as they can, and every day the forest grows back. It reminds me of our own mission, these seemingly endless loops of struggling to find the Light and protect a world from the Hunger only to be thrown back into another cycle.

A gnome child ran up to us this morning and demanded, “Have you come to save us?” None of us knew how to answer, and finally Lup said, “. . . In a way . . .” The child could tell it wasn’t the answer she needed, and the bright spark of hope in her eyes faded away. Even if we do prevent the destruction of this planar system there is nothing we can do about the great mushrooms amidst which these people eke out a living.

Deadly as they are, the mushrooms are beautiful. I’ve been able to make out at least ten different species without passing beyond the ring of bonfires. They vary so much in structure and color: there are ones with stalks like smooth treetrunks and domed orange caps with deep pink gills, ones that jut out of the ground like green dripping fingers, tall ridged ones and orbs that sit low on the ground. All of them glow and all of them release sprays of the deadly spores.

I asked Nita, a Halfling with bright, deep-set brown eyes who walks with two canes carved from the tough caps of the shelflike purple mushrooms, if it would be safe for me to leave the village to make more notes and sketches of the forest provided I wore my mask at all times.

She looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “You can’t go out alone,” she said. “The Keepers will find you!”

Apparently the strange moving shapes we’d seen on the forest floor were no trick; there are ambulatory mushroom creatures as tall as a human that tend to the forest. None of these Keepers have ventured within the circle of bonfires in living memory, but there are still stories of them sneaking up to remove the masks from incautious travelers.

Day 4

The Light of Creation fell early this morning before the sun had risen. Magnus, Davenport, and Barry had been taking turns watching for it, and it was Barry’s watch when it fell. We heard him cry out and followed his pointing finger, but by the time we looked the trail it left in the sky had already faded.

“I barely saw it,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s somewhere to the South, but that’s half the world to search . . . I don’t know if we’ll be able to get it this time.”

Magnus clapped him on the shoulder. “Of course we will!” he said. “You and Lup just need to do your whole science magic thing! You’re great at it!”

The mask covers most of Barry’s face that isn’t already covered by glasses, but the blush reached his ears.

After a brief discussion we decided that we would stay here in Fungston for the time being, at least until we had a better sense of how to navigate this world. In a month or so we would discuss organizing an away mission.

Magnus has spent most of his time since our arrival waiting on the ship, so this was his first day spent out among the villagers. They all stare when they think he isn’t looking. They also stare at me and Barry and the twins, but Magnus is both taller and broader than the rest of us. One of the children asked how he could be so tall, and he laughed and said, “Like this!” and swung her up onto his shoulders. She screamed for a moment, but then it turned into laughter as he helped her balance and she got to look down on all of us, even the rest of the crew.

It attracted quite the crowd: other children begging for a turn while their parents looked on in shock and muted horror which slowly abated as they saw how careful he was not to let anyone fall.

Vetch, the first child he picked up, is a small dwarf girl who looks younger than her nine years. She wears her hair in small braids that stick out all over her head. One of her mothers, Frelya, leads a scorch teams and Jarrus, the other, spends most of her time tending the spiders. Befriending the “giant” has made her very popular among the other children.

Frelya has agreed to take me out into the forest tomorrow, although I don’t think any of them really understand my work. I tried to explain it, but they insist they simply remember everything important and have no need for writing.

Day 5

The forest is even more astonishing up close! I will have to return with my paints to see if I can capture something of the colors of these mushrooms! There is so much variation in the form and texture! Some of them do remind me of fungi I’ve seen on previous worlds, but so much about them is utterly alien.

And the insects! These spores may be deadly to mammals like ourselves, but the forest is still teeming with life. I saw butterflies as big as my head and worms that glow the same shade as the mushrooms they feed on and tiny flies with delicate, lacy wings and bugs with armored carapaces that burrow through the leaf-mold. There are even frogs that live in the cup-shaped caps of some of the smaller mushrooms where the water collects.

(The rest of this entry consists of pen-and-ink drawings of the fungi and creatures of the mushroom forest. On one page the drawings are somewhat smudged with tidelines, as if it had gotten wet. There is a note next to it: “Better ink! Also: umbrella!”)

Day 6

I had hoped to spend another day in the forest, but Nita found me after breakfast.

“Come give Frelya a break and take a look at the gardens!” she said. We are all growing more accustomed to reading expressions without being able to see people’s mouths, but there was a genuine sparkle in her eyes.

She led me to the herb-filled huts, which she and a gnome named Gully are the chief tenders of. “You like listening to people talk, right? Well lucky for you, I can talk all day!”

And she was right! She explained how the gardens were constructed differently from the other buildings, lined with stones and spider-silk so the mushrooms couldn’t creep up from underneath. She led me through descriptions of every herb they grew—which would relieve pain, which could be turned into a salve for burns, which ones would stop you from getting sick if you added them to your meals.

“This is the most important,” she said, pointing to a plant with purple-gray, arrow-shaped leaves. “There’s nothing that will save you if you breathe in the spores, but this slows them down. Before we found it, people had days at most. Sometimes just hours. But chewing on these leaves or making them into tea every day, we’ve had people survive for months. It grows wild in the forest and it’s one of the first things to sprout from ground that’s been burned. We call it Sparkweed.”

She made me explain everything I was writing; a few of the elder citizens of the town still know how to write, but most of them never learned.

(Several pages are filled with drawings of plants, along with their uses and notes on how to identify them.)

Lup and Taako volunteered to “help” with cooking tonight. It involved perhaps slightly more striking poses than was strictly necessary, but no one complained. The Starblaster’s larder is well-stocked, and when Davenport asked if they were afraid they’d run out of something important Taako just laughed and transmuted his spoon into a pile of white peppercorns.

It was a much more satisfying meal than the others we’ve had so far, and more importantly the villagers seemed to love it too. The brought out a barrel of beer brewed from mushrooms as a thanks and shared it with us. It was very . . . heady. And dark. Taako took pity on my and transmuted my second cup into wine.

Vetch, still proud of her favor with the “giant,” has taken to climbing into Magnus’s lap or across his shoulders during meals. He encourages it, of course, although sometimes he tickles her in retaliation.

Day 7

The Hunger has found us.

It’s not a surprise by now, but it’s still horrible to behold. For a few minutes the colors seemed to drain from the world and hundreds upon hundreds of eyes opened in the sky and stared down at us. The villagers pointed their flame cannons at the sky. Vetch and the other children ran and clung to Magnus’s legs. The rest of us simply . . . waited. And as it always has done before, the darkness passed.

And now we have a year. A year of waiting for the Hunger to arrive. A year to find the Light and save this world. A year to learn all I can about this reality before we leave it forever.

Mico strode up to us as the eyes winked out.

“What is going on?” they demanded. “What the hell was that thing? You weren’t even surprised!”

“It’s . . . a force,” said Lup at length. “A really fucking nasty one, not gonna lie. It will be here in a year, but if we find the Light that landed here a few days ago we can lead it off and your reality will survive.”

“Our . . . reality?” Mico said. “What about us?”

“Um,” said Lup. “Well. That . . . depends . . .”

We explained, as best we could, what we’re up against. What it does to worlds and why it’s so important that we find the Light. What it can do to worlds even if we do. There’s no good way to spin it.

Dinner was quiet. Some of the villagers stared at us distrustfully. Others looked vacant, their shoulders slumped beneath their heavy coats.

They’d had so little hope anyway, and when we arrived for a moment we’d given them more. Hope that there were other people still out there, other worlds where the inhabitants could breathe free. And then we’d told them that they had another enemy, worse and more inevitable than the mushrooms.

As the sun set and the scorch team began to prepare for their nightly work, we heard a voice cry out.

“Wait! Brothers and sisters, if I may, I’d just like to offer up a little prayer to Pan to bless your work tonight and every night and to give you hope and joy through these dark times!”

It was Merle. He did pray, and the villagers listened in puzzlement. None of them have mentioned any gods. And then, as the scorch team filed out into the forest, Merle began to sing. It was one of those old hymnal tunes with a set of words for almost every god. The rest of us hummed along even though we didn’t know the words about Pan.

When the song ended, Merle looked around nervously. The scorch team had paused at the final ring of bonfires. The other villagers were staring out from the doors of their houses.

“What . . . what was that?” said Mico. He looked flabbergasted.

Merle shrugged.

“Hope,” he said.

#araxie writes #the adventure zone #Magnus rushes in! #i've made a terrible mistake but i'm sticking with it #we'll see how many weeks in the middle are just image descriptions of mushrooms #cycle eight

[doktorpeace]

P5 Update after the break I’m very very far into the game so there will be heavy spoilers, just read through later if you aren’t at least in Mid November:

I guess first I’ll give an overview of my progress and general playstyle before moving onto thoughts about characters, social links, and the story. It’s currently 11/14 in game, so I’ll be delving into Sae’s dungeon soon. Like I mentioned before I’ve maxed 4/5 social stats, everything except Kindness which is at rank 4. Including the Confidants which will max out on their own eventually but have not yet (Fool, Magician, Judgement and I’m going to assume Justice) I’ve completed 13 social links with Haru’s (Rank 7), The Twin Wardens’ (Rank 8), Iwai’s (Rank 7), and Futaba’s (Rank 2) pretty likely to finish before the game is over. The only one I’m concerned for is Futaba’s since I’ve shamefully raised hers so little. Thus far I’ve completed every Palace in just one visit a piece, discounting any story forced segments like the first couple visits to Kamoshida and Madarame’s Palaces. I’ve really liked this game’s schedule tbh. Overall while I feel some of the story segments take up too much time, specifically during October, I don’t mind so much because I’ve gotten a lot done on a near completely blind first playthrough, and there’s still more I can do. While initially I was worried that social stats took too long to level up I feel it successfully threads the needle between 3′s “They’ll cap without effort” and 4′s “Fuck you for trying” approach for first time runs. They take effort and dedication, but like I said I’ve maxed nearly all of them. I also like how different confidant relationships will help improve your social stats as well, it’s a great secondary incentive to max certain ones and to stick with them. On top of that, there are more major barriers that require certain social stats and while some feel a little arbitrary (maxed charm for Makoto past rank 5) it makes sense to incentivize players to spend time on them as well. Another improvement to Confidants I enjoy over previous social links is how they all give a variety of skills. I know I focused on Hifumi’s and Kawakami’s way more than I might have otherwise just because their skills are so good and varied. Hifumi’s in particular add a lot of tactical depth. On the opposite end though, I know I ended up putting Ohya and Chihaya on the backburner because their skills weren’t that useful, though I certainly got a lot of use out of Chihaya’s social stat booster readings. Honestly, I just wish I had taken the time to max Sojiro’s. I like him a lot but he’s only at rank 3 because I spent the time I could have spent with him in the early game on my social stats. *sad trombone* For transparency, I’ve completed: Makoto’s, Yusuke’s, Ann’s, Ryuji’s, Takemi’s, Kawakami’s, Hifumi’s, Mishima’s, and Yoshida’s, and then another 3-4 will max automatically. I’ve enjoyed them all thoroughly, Yoshida’s in particular is one of my favorite non-party member Social Links in the entire franchise. I also like how Akira’s dialogue with women is much more respectful and natural than Yu’s or Minato’s was. He gets a lot more dialogue that doesn’t have sexual tension and feels like what an actual person would say, which leads to great character relationships and dynamics between him and characters like Ann, Makoto, and Hifumi even if you elect not to date them. In some cases I’d even say that his relationship dynamic is stronger if you do not date them, particularly with Futaba and Ann. (please don’t kill me avaterem if you’re reading this) This isn’t to say that electing to date one of them is bad or lesser per se, I just feel like there was a great dynamic between him and Ann as Just Friends which honestly I didn’t feel was there between Minato and Yukari or Yu and Rise, for instance.  Combat wise this game’s been a little on the easy side but I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I’ll definitely play new game+ through on hard or maybe even higher, we’ll see. All the party members fill unique niches and the greater variety of skills this game has helps keep them all fresh. Nobody overlaps unlike with 3 and 4 so that’s great. The Palace Bosses have all had really great fights, though I feel visually Kamoshida’s was still the most impressive because it was very out there comparatively. Still, they all fit thematically with who you’re fighting and they’ve all been very fun. Ever since she joined Makoto has been on the team and I just swap around the two members who aren’t Akira or Makoto. Generally it’s been a good move because she’s an extremely well balanced tank with good spread damage and support skills. The Palaces themselves have also been very enjoyable, they’ve each taken at least a somewhat different approach to design and I like that so far. Kamoshida’s has a good number of mandatory stops to keep you from getting worn out, and otherwise goes fairly easy since it’s the tutorial level basically. Madarame’s requires a mandatory stop to do stuff in real life which was neat and otherwise its level design was super cool and well realized thematically. Kaneshiro’s is a gauntlet through, it’s super long and fairly tough for its time in the story but there’s nothing stopping you except your own pacing and skill from actually just completing it in one go. Its level of difficulty is consistent throughout with no real spikes anywhere, it’s also the dungeon I had the most trouble keeping a low alertness rating in because it has a lot of unique mechanics. Futaba’s Palace is similar, though its difficulty is very spike-y. The dungeon itself isn’t too long, but the enemy mobs are generally speaking a good bit higher level than you are and many of them are only weak to PSI skills, which only Joker can have, or are weak to nothing at all. It’s the only dungeon that I made heavy use of just running away from encounters in. Most recently was Okumura’s Palace which is honestly one of my favorites. Its a great puzzle-dungeon that’s incredibly front loaded with challenge. If you can’t figure out that the worker drones are weak to fire then you’re in for an extremely bad time. On top of that several of the normal enemies in the first area are immune to regular attacks and guns, then it makes you fight a lot of unforgiving sub bosses up front but rewards you with an area where all the enemies are weak to physical attacks and guns. Then Haru really comes into play in spite of being a bit weaker than the others by virtue of lacking baton pass, the nearer you get to the end the more enemy types are weak to PSI and Gun skills, which Haru will just chew through. Overall it’s really well designed, but definitely much easier than 3 and 4. I’ve only had one game over happen and it was to a very unfortunate string of criticals. On a side note: Mementos is a nice bone throw to people who liked Tartarus a lot, though because of how it works it’s never challenging. I don’t have a lot to say on it, but I have a sneaking suspicion it’s gonna be the true final dungeon we do where we fight god or whatever because this is a Persona game so I know we’re gonna fight a god at some point, probably after the story mostly ends and we time skip to March. The story’s been very good so far. I was wondering when we’d get into the meat of it and oh boy October really delivered. There’s been this tension about the whole game because like, the first thing you learn is that you fucked up and got caught. You’re recounting what all happened to the prosecutor who’s in charge of your case. It’s flowed well and while a couple of the early segments, like within the first hour mostly, were somewhat stilted I’ve felt that way about every atlus product I’ve ever played. It’s just their weakpoint in storytelling as a company. This game does a great job not leaving things hanging, basically everything I’ve wondered about has been addressed in some way, even down to “Jeez Ryuji and Morgana are being really hostile towards each other” becomes an actual plot point and I like that a lot. Which btw Morgana running away called me the fuck out because like yeah, I’d totally benched him more or less in favor of the human party members since Yusuke joined. Since then I know I’ve been using him more not because I felt bad but because it made me appreciate having him more. I’ll do a full write up on the story once I’m totally done, all I really have to say right now is I haven’t trusted Akechi one fucking iota all game and that hasn’t changed now.  He’s a good character, but he’s sus as fuck and I’m waiting to fight him as a boss later. If he ends up just being an actually good boy and not betraying us I’ll eat my hat. But I’m dead fucking certain that he’s Future Prime Minister Shido’s darknet hitman who goes and assassinates people for him using the Metaverse. I’ve already caught Akechi in a lie, he said he only received his persona a month ago but that’s BULLSHIT because he could understand what Morgana was saying all the way back in May. He’s known about and been able to access the Metaverse for a long time. The only thing I’ve really not had addressed yet is why exactly was Akira accepted at this school? Kobayakawa mentioned it was because of ‘outside influence’ at the start of the game and that still hasn’t been addressed. The Phantom Thieves are great. Easily my favorite player group of the three people actually care about between SEES, The Investigation Team, and now these guys. They have a great set of dynamics and relationships, and you get a ton more interparty interaction and dialogue thanks to the text chat logs. They’ve all been great and it’s neat seeing the nuances of their relationships both as a group and individually. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean I like either other group less now, but after P4 neatly sorted the investigation team into sets of two all game it’s refreshing to see them all interact with each other directly and often. They’re all interesting and good characters. Morgana’s improved a lot. I already liked him better than Teddie, but after the Okumura arc of the story he’s improved a lot. I like him a good bit, but I’ll still wait to talk about him in full until the story’s over. Ryuji’s still great. He’s the ‘your first and best friend’ of the game. Compared one to one I probably don’t like him as much as Junpei but he’s real close. Obviously he blows Yosuke out of the water because he’s actually a good and enjoyable character. Ryuji’s dates are also really great, he’s just an earnest, good, vulgar boy trying his best. His hot headed-ness has actually been a detriment for the group a couple of times, which is good because him shouting about being Phantom Thieves in public and being overly combative toward Morgana (for understandable enough reasons) SHOULD come up. Still, he shows great growth and humility over the course of the story, particularly when he apologizes to Morgana and after he gets angry during a meeting and scares Haru and Futaba by punching some furniture he tells Akira that it made him feel shitty and he’s going to apologize to them individually. He’s great, I love him, and he’s strong in combat to boot. Ann is still the explosive, great, multifaceted character she was and I like her even more now that I’ve finished her Confidant relationship. She’s a very good character and honestly the driving force behind a lot of P5′s feminist messages. She’s a great character who can be silly, friendly, and serious all at the same time and it doesn’t feel like she’s whipping around from one personality to another, she’s just really well realized. One of my favorite things about her is that she’s allowed to be angry, she’s allowed to be pissed off and shout and rage against society in the same way as Ryuji. She’s never as loud as him, but it’s still great. As a party member she’s a little weaker than the others, mostly because he gun fucking sucks lol. That said she has a great mix of offense and utility, I just wish her speed were a bit higher. Yusuke’s even better now that I’ve taken him on like, 4 dates and finished his Confidant relationship. Like, putting aside that he’s obviously gay for a moment there is way more erotic and romantic tension between him and Akira than there is between Akira and most other characters. His dialogue, the way they interact, Akira’s response options and what motions he makes around him, it’s all very homoerotic and it makes me even more confused as to why he’s not romanceable. He has more date locations you can take him on than several of the romance options, just make him a full romance please Atlus. Aside from that, I love his character, he’s great. As a character he’s also great representation for people on the autism spectrum, imo. This game never outright says “Yusuke is autistic” but it’s extremely obvious he’s intended to be on the spectrum given some of his dialogue, behavior, and the particular use of the word ‘eccentric’ and ‘eccentricities’ in regards to him and only him. Japanese games don’t like saying shit like that outright but it’s totally clear if you just pay attention. His Confidant Relationship is also one of my favorites in the game. You get a great look at his life circumstances, some of his philosophical beliefs, and you get to see this great maturity come about as he takes it all in and turns it into his art. I think it was really meaningful that his final art piece for that competition was just him going back to the canvas he started on and making something more out of it. He’s a well rounded character and is also one of my favorite combat party members because he’s so fucking strong. His damage output is absurd to be frank and his followup attack is one of my favorites, he just instantly kills whatever enemy has the most health on the field. It’s great. Makoto’s a total babe tbh... She’s got the punk biker aesthetic when you’re in the metaverse, her weapons of choice are her fists and revolvers, she does the whole ‘Pretend we’re dating and whoops we just don’t stop’ thing. She’s a little socially awkward but not totally, she’s the boss friend and voice of reason, though she isn’t beyond jokes and she’s just great. I’m weak, she’s powerful, I love this character. It also helps that she’s clearly the secondary protagonist of the game in the same way that Mitsuru and Naoto were before her, so she gets a lot of nice extra focus in the story. Not so much as to detract from the others, but her being Sae’s sister naturally makes her interactions with her sister the main way we see Sae characterized. I’ve got a lot to say about her but I can’t really get it into words right now. I’ll talk about her more later cause some drama’s gonna go down I’m sure of it. Futaba’s the character I was most worried about going in, but I’ve been happily proven wrong. I was worried she’d just be your NEET Japanese Gamer Waifu and she’s absolutely not. I mean, she is literally a NEET Japanese Gamer Girl, but the story doesn’t sexualize her nor does it make her the ‘obvious’ romance like how Yukari and Rise were in 3 and 4. She’s a character with paranoid schizophrenia for christsake and they manage to not only handle that well, but they kept the integrity of her character all throughout it and make her own effort the reason she improves, not the phantom thieves magically fixing her. I’m still not over it. I haven’t done much of her confidant relationship, but I do really like what I’ve seen of her. She’s driven and works hard, but she’s got her limits and is trying hard to broaden her horizons. She’s very comedic as well in the text logs but in a way that makes sense for someone her age and background. Her relationship with the others is a little stilted, but it doesn’t feel awkward, it makes sense because really she only interacts to any major degree with Akira, Yusuke, and Morgana. And finally we have Haru! I love her, she’s so fucking cute and such a sweet character. It’s kind of funny how she’s almost the same as Mitsuru but is so different. They’re both 1%ers who are the sole daughters and heirs to a conglomerate, are set up for an aranaged marriage they do not want, and whose dads die suddenly. Plus they’re both Empress Arcana. Yet the major difference is Mitsuru’s dad was supportive and she was prepared to inherit her company, where Haru has neither of those things. She was a passenger to her dad’s corrupt will and suddenly has all of this thrust upon her. I think it’s neat how similar they are in concept yet they’re totally different. I haven’t completed her confidant relationship yet but so far I like how down to earth it is. She just needs someone she can trust and talk with about her life issues. It’s cute seeing her go out and try different hobbies of her own choice just to get away from it all and to see what comes of it. Oh, I just realized, but also like Mitsuru she copes with her situation by burying herself in more work, though with Haru it’s with getting more hobbies to do where Mitsuru just takes on more corporate responsibilities. I hope this ends well for her. Honestly I wish she joined us sooner, I get the feeling she won’t be around for enough time to get the focus she deserves. Also, and this is just me, but I feel people saying ‘This game’s gay representation is shit just like Atlus always is’ really aren’t giving the game its dues. Yes, those two NPCs are bad and solely negative inclusions that just randomly throw in two (admittedly very short) scenes with a couple of predatory gay guys. But to only highlight them and ignore characters like Lala Escargot being well handled and shown to be nothing but a good person, Yusuke being pretty gay, and even the main character explicitly and without joking being able to show attraction to men multiple times is just unfair. The game’s gay representation isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly a lot better than Persona 3 or 4′s initial releases. Though Persona 3′s cast ended up being very queer with later content if you just compare the initial releases of each game Persona 5 blows the others out of the water by means of actually having positive queer representation. All in all, it’s still amazing, 10/10, my game of the year without question. I love it.

#P5 #P5 Spoilers